Dubai Destinations: new drive to share best of emirate with the world

Dubai has launched a major promotional campaign to bolster its growing status as a global tourism destination

Gwyneth Paltrow walks along Jumeirah Beach, with the Burj Al Arab behind her, in the ‘A Story Takes Flight’ campaign. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Zoe Saldana with a falcon in the desert in the ‘A Story Takes Flight’ campaign. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Kate Hudson explores the souks in the ‘A Story Takes Flight’ campaign. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson and Zoe Saldana on an abra on Dubai Creek in the ‘A Story Takes Flight’ campaign. Courtesy Dubai Tourism

Dubai has launched a major promotional campaign in line with an ambitious vision to become the 'world's best city to live and visit'.

The initiative, called Dubai Destinations, will bring together government departments and the burgeoning creative community to share the best of the emirate with the world.

The strategy will complement Dubai's efforts to enhance its profile as a leading global destination, focusing on a wide variety of leisure, dining, cultural and sporting experiences on offer.

The scheme was announced on Monday at an event attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, chairman of Dubai Media Council.

"Inspired by the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the world’s best city to live and visit, we are launching an initiative to enhance the profile of Dubai’s unique destination offerings by engaging with both the local community and regional and global audiences," said Sheikh Ahmed.

"This unique campaign leverages the strength of diverse media platforms to highlight the vibrant culture, sights, activities, shows, events and festivities that make Dubai one of the world’s most distinctive destinations.

"The Dubai Destinations initiative is a tribute to Dubai’s culture of hospitality and its open and inclusive outlook. With a wealth of creative content from diverse sources, this initiative will open many windows into Dubai’s uniqueness as a destination."

The drive will include organisations such as the Department of Economy and Tourism, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Municipality, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Dubai Holding, Dubai Sports Council and the Government of Dubai Media Office.

Photographers, animators and videographers as well as digital media content creators and influencers will be enlisted to highlight Dubai's top attractions.

'Unforgettable moments'

Dubai Media Council will develop a Dubai Destinations calendar with an initial focus on outdoor activities.

The campaign will also feature guides designed to help people explore Dubai’s top-rated experiences, campsites, outdoor activities and homegrown restaurants.

"A celebration of all that the city has to offer, the innovative campaign aims to introduce both domestic and global audiences to new experiences and encourage them to discover hidden gems, enjoy exciting activities, and share unforgettable moments in Dubai," said Mona Al Marri, vice Chairperson and managing director of Dubai Media Council and director general of Dubai Media Office.

"By tapping into the power of collaborative storytelling, the initiative will bring to people around the world the incredible diversity of experiences offered by Dubai."

Expo leading the way

The success of Expo 2020 Dubai - which has already attracted more than six million visits - has helped to open up the eyes of the world to the emirate's offering.

Dubai Destinations aims to offer those stopping off at the world's fair an array of other experiences to savour while in the emirate, from public parks and beaches to a whole host of entertainment venues.

The natural beauty of the Al Marmoom area and the Hatta region will also be showcased to the wider world.

The campaign aims to boost Dubai's rising status as one of the safest and most open destinations to travel to in the world and bolster its continued recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dubai was ranked first regionally and second globally in a list of the top 100 city destinations released earlier this month.

The emirate received praise for being open to tourists since the summer of 2020, despite the pandemic, in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2021, compiled by UK market research company Euromonitor International.

Dubai received 4.88 million visitors between January and October 2021, with international visits during October alone reaching more than one million as the emirate’s tourism sector charted a robust recovery from the pandemic.

The emirate sold 9.4 million room nights in the first 10 months of this year, up 34 per cent compared to the same period in 2019 owing to the higher number of domestic and international visitors, according to the latest statistics released by the Dubai government's media office on Sunday.

“Our multi-pronged strategy to combat the pandemic and deployment of wide-ranging initiatives to increase our global competitiveness and attractiveness is a hallmark of Dubai’s highly progressive public-private partnership model, which has been a cornerstone of not only what was achieved in 2021 but what will be achieved in the next critical 12 to 24-month period,” said Helal Almarri, director general of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.