February saw more concrete details emerge regarding the Dubai ‘Tourism Dirham’, as His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, issued a resolution declaring the charge will come into effect on March 31, 2014.
The resolution stated that the ‘Tourism Dirham’, first announced in January this year following the creation of the new DCTCM tourism body , is to be a charge of between AED seven and 20 per room, per night, for all guests staying in holiday accommodation including hotels, hotel apartments, guest houses and holiday homes.
Speaking at the time of the announcement, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing director general HE Helal Saeed Almarri said: “The introduction of the Tourism Dirham will support Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, helping to ensure our continued competitiveness on the global stage, which will be reflected positively in the growth of two of our economic pillars — trade and tourism.”
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Following the announcement, the Dubai hotel market has been cautiously enthusiastic about the new charge and the potential of a worldwide marketing push from the new tourism body.
Speaking to Hotelier, Dubai’s Emirates Grand Hotel director of sales and marketing Rohit Rattan said: “With a new organisation dedicated to promoting Dubai as a tourism hub, we expect a boost in the growing tourism market of Dubai, and we look ahead to a vision which is in line with the latest trends and developments of the city”.
Also enthusiastic about the work of the new tourism body was TRI Hospitality Consulting senior consultant Christopher Hewett, who said: “The formation of the DCTCM will ensure that there is an entity which is dedicated to promoting and marketing both tourism and commerce in Dubai and the overall Dubai brand. The key benefit is that the corporation will focus on attracting a greater number of visitors to the city with the aim of reaching 20 million by 2020”.
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