One Northeast, the regional development agency for the English north-east, is targeting operators in the UAE as the region looks to add to the 10% increase in tourists it received over the last year.
One NorthEast regional image and international marketing manager Helen McLoughlin said that the UAE was to be the testing ground for further expansion across the Middle East.
"We’re going to concentrate on Dubai and the UAE over the next two or three years and attempt to grow our brand - then we’ll look at the rest of the region," said McLoughlin.
"We’ve just started in this market, but I think that people from this region are attracted to our location because of the quality of the product.
"There are lots of five star hotels, quality golf courses and packages available," she added.
Following the recent launch of direct Emirates Airline flights from Dubai to north east England hub Newcastle, McLoughlin commented that the region could be used as a gateway to the rest of the UK by tourists from the Middle East.
"We hope people will fly in direct, spend a night or two there and see the region; then it’s only an hour and half to Edinburgh, less than an hour to the Lake District, or less than three hours to London via train," she noted.
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