Dubai Tourism’s local representative, Shahab Shayan, says the city has returned to normal operations, with flights, hotels and attractions humming again and ready to welcome Australians as travel advisories are eased.
Dubai is ready to welcome Australian travellers back, dependent on government advice, with tourism officials reporting a strong recovery in visitor confidence, airline capacity and local business activity following recent regional conflict.
Speaking to Australian travel media at Sydney’s Capella Hotel, Shayan, Dubai Tourism’s Regional Director for Asia-Pacific, said the city had demonstrated its resilience and was now focused on rebuilding visitor confidence through a combination of safety messaging, industry support and value-led offers. Over a period of several days, Shayan also met with peak travel industry bodies before heading back to the Emirate.
“Normalcy is back in Dubai. We’re more than ready to welcome back Australians to Dubai again,” said Shayan who has, in the past, taken the brunt of questions about past instability of the Middle East as a tourist destination.
While acknowledging the impact of the current conflict, Shayan said the destination had recovered quickly, supported by strong community solidarity and uninterrupted aviation operations.
“Flights never stopped. The airport was always functional,” he said. ‘’We’re happy to say that we’re sort of back on track with flights. Emirates has restored 85 per cent of its pre-crisis capacity globally and is currently operating 45 weekly services Australian services.”
Shayan said the easing of travel advisories in several key markets, including Australia with the DFAT’s Smartraveller currently at Level 3 status, alongside the UK, France, Italy, China, Russia and India, had helped drive renewed momentum. And he reinforced that Australia and New Zealand continue to remain strategically important.
“Australia and New Zealand is our key stopover market. It’s the No.1 stopover market for us,” he said.
Dubai Tourism has developed a phased recovery strategy that includes trade incentives, consumer campaigns and tactical marketing initiatives that will be activated as travel advisories continue to evolve.
“We have campaigns from a consumer side, from the business side, we have incentives ready for the agents. We have a whole bunch of campaigns with assets ready to go,” he said.
Traveller safety
A key challenge remains reassuring travellers about safety. Shayan said Dubai and the UAE had implemented extensive aviation, security and operational measures throughout the conflict, working closely with airlines, airports, civil aviation authorities and defence agencies.
“I think it’s safe to say that everything is being measured and calculated accordingly to the best of their abilities in order to provide the safety and security to all consumers and visitors.”
The city has also continued hosting major events, including Art Dubai, international sporting tournaments and business conferences, helping reinforce the message that daily life has largely returned to normal.
“We as a city have not stopped. Our events are going ahead,” he said, mentioning the Dubai Mallathon and the CBBC Summer Clearance sales among them, with more to come.
Shayan also believes Australian travellers will be among the quickest to return.
“Aussie travellers are so resilient, and as well, after COVID, I think they become even more resilient,” he said.
“We met a lot of CEOs yesterday and the GMs, and none of them really had that worry of, ‘Oh, we’re going to have to wait another year until we send you guys more of our customers’.”
Reduced luxury hotel rates
Value is expected to be a major drawcard. With Dubai’s summer coinciding with lower hotel demand, Shayan said Australians could access luxury accommodation at significantly reduced rates.
“A lot of your five-star luxury hotels can go from $350 to 450, where in the winter, or usual times are like $1000-plus per night,” he said.
Beyond luxury, Shayan said Dubai was increasingly focused on promoting its cultural credentials, forthcoming events and heritage attractions.
“I think that’s something we’re trying to focus on more as well and really showcase what more this has,” he said. “And we have 13,000 restaurants.”
As travel conditions continue to improve, Dubai Tourism is banking on a combination of safety, value and cultural experiences that will help drive Australian visitation back to pre-conflict levels.
Visit Dubai – Official Tourism Guide to Dubai’s Attractions, Events & Culture
