Emirates- und Hotel-Offers

[lennox]

heute 'The National'

Kids go free in tourism push
Rebecca Bundhun

Emirates Airline's promotion includes free entry for children to attractions as Wild Wadi Water Park in Dubai.
Dubai took the global battle for tourists to a new level on Wednesday, combining its aviation, hotel and leisure resources in an unprecedented promotion to draw in families during the summer lull.

The worldwide offer by Emirates Airline includes free flights, hotel stays, meals and entry to major leisure attractions for children, substantially cutting the cost of a family holiday.

“In these tough economic times it is important to provide families with a holiday option that allows them to escape and relax without the financial strain an international holiday can bring,” said Nabil Sultan, the divisional senior vice president of revenue optimisation and distribution for Emirates.

One child under the age of 16 can fly for free to Dubai when accompanied by two paying adults, while up to two children can stay for free at 33 hotels, including the Burj al Arab and Grand Hyatt, Emirates said. The offer, which starts tomorrow and lasts until Sept 20, also includes free entry worth a total of Dh1,500 (US$408.38) per child to attractions such as Wild Wadi Water Park and Ski Dubai, as well as discounts at Dubai Mall.

Data from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) shows that the number of visitors from the UK, the emirate’s largest source of tourists, fell by 7 per cent in the first quarter of this year.

Rohit Talwar, the chief executive of the travel industry consultancy Fast Future, said: “This is a very sensible strategy to compete for the business of holidaymakers from key markets such as the UK.

“The value of the ‘kids go free’ deal may just tip the balance in favour of Dubai against other destinations, particularly given the way the pound has weakened against both the euro and the dollar.”

The DTCM said the emirate’s tourism and hotel sector accounted for 19 per cent of Dubai’s GDP and indirectly contributed towards 32 per cent of economic activity.

Alex Kyriakidis, the global managing director at Deloitte Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, said the aviation sector played a critical role in the emirate’s tourism strategy.

“Both Emirates and Etihad are now responding to the global crisis and the competition for the traveller, and they’re absolutely coming out with attractive deals,” he said.

However, Mr Kyriakidis said that he still expected Dubai’s beach hotel properties to achieve only 55 per cent occupancy and average daily rates of about $160 between June and September. Off-beach properties were likely to see occupancy levels in the mid-30 per cent range and average daily rates of around $140, he said.

Occupancy rates from previous years show that the summer is typically a quieter season for the emirate, with occupancy levels of about 70 per cent between June and September.

“At the end of the day, especially in today’s environment, people will be about calculating precisely what something is going to cost, because unfortunately people need to be very budget-conscious, at all levels,” Mr Kyriakidis said.

Kempinski Hotel Mall of The Emirates in Dubai said it was participating in the Emirates Airline campaign, offering free meals and accommodation to up to two children sharing the parents’ room.

“We think that this offer will have a positive impact on our summer business starting from May and until the end of Ramadan,” said Nasser Fawzi, the director of sales and marketing for the hotel.

“A joint marketing promotion like this will help both of us to improve the business flow,” he said. “We believe that this offer will encourage families from Saudi, Kuwait, Qatar et cetera, to travel with their children to Dubai instead of flying all the way to Europe or the Far East.”

rbundhun@thenational.ae