Published on : Thursday, May 2, 2019
To quote Issam Kazim, the CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), “We set targets for ourselves that we know are challenging. But Dubai has always achieved its targets, and we really, truly believe in that philosophy. And that’s why we want to make sure that the message is clear,” he said, adding: “We’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing, and we do what we can within our control, and we make sure that the industry supports us, and we support the industry, and for us it’s about achieving the targets set in our sights.”
“One of the factors [for last year’s low growth] is us being pegged to the dollar. That is not to the benefit of the people travelling in to Dubai,” Kazim added.
He said that while the offers and discounts at shopping malls in the emirate were becoming more attractive, they were being “negated” for tourists travelling from a country with a weak currency compared to the stronger dollar.
These include places such as the UK and Russia, which are two historically important source markets for Dubai tourism.
Hence, for some, visiting Dubai felt increasingly expensive, Kazim added.
To counterbalance this pressure, Kazim said that Dubai Tourism has been working closely with trade partners, airlines and fellow government entities for driving holidaymakers to the emirate.
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