Event tourism the Dubai way

Roger Federer, Macy Gray and Tiger Woods have played starring roles in tempting tourists to Dubai.

Hoteliers and event organisers say high-profile events such as the Duty Free Tennis Championship, the International Jazz Festival, the Desert Classic and the Dubai Shopping Festival have been crucial in bringing in the visitors and generating international exposure for the emirate.

The tennis great Federer has helped pull in the crowds for this week's Duty Free Tennis Championship, while all eyes were on Woods when he took part in the Desert Classic recently. And Gray delighted music fans last week.

"These activities are very important," says Naeem Darkazally, the vice president of sales and revenue at Rotana, which has 13 hotels in Dubai, with 3,321 rooms. "You can't paint the world with one brush.

"You need to hold different cultural events. Not everybody just comes for shopping.

"They also want to do something else as well, and we feel that in the diversity of our sources of business during the shopping festival month. We have seen a positive impact."

Tourism accounts for 19 per cent of Dubai's economy, according to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. An estimated Dh10 billion (US$2.72bn) was spent at the Dubai Shopping Festival last year.

Sporting events, including horse racing, are also a major draw for tourists as well as creating exposure for Dubai as a premier destination.

"That has happened not only with Dubai World Cup, but with all the major sporting events that have grown and blossomed in Dubai and Abu Dhabi," says Frank Gabriel, the chief executive of the Dubai Racing Club.

The Dubai International Racing Carnival, which started in mid-January at the Meydan Racecourse and runs for 10 weeks, offers more than $37 million in total prize money.

The big event on the horse racing calendar is, of course, the Dubai World Cup, which last year attracted almost 50,000 spectators. Organisers are hoping to host even more spectators this year.

"It's a world event. It's one of the greatest horse races, offering a purse of $26m," Mr Gabriel says. "That in turn brings in people from all over the world."

He points to the Dubai World Cup, in particular, as attracting spectators from North America, Europe and Japan.

"Tourism has grown not just because of the sporting events, but because of the climate and the hospitality," Mr Gabriel says. "It's just one of those tools that increased that awareness and we're fortunate to try to grow that awareness with the Dubai World Cup."

Attractive deals have also boosted tourism to Dubai this year. Before the economic downturn, room rates were averaging $300 a night. Now rooms can easily be found in Bur Dubai or Al Barsha for less than $100 a night. Even luxury properties are much more affordable.

"Dubai is much better value for money than ever before," says Mr Darkazally. "It has seen an increase in occupancies and Dubai has now stabilised as a leisure destination. It does attract all layers of society from average income to families to group business."

Mr Darkazally highlighted the Dubai International Jazz Festival, of which Rotana is a sponsor, as a great event for the emirate.

"The jazz festival has been very successful this year," he says. "All these activities are worldwide and regionally known. The jazz festival, for example, is a unique event.

"I think more than ever, with these activities, with the increase of inventory, the nice weather, there's really nothing missing for anybody who lives in the Middle East to say 'yes, let's go to Dubai … let me take my wife and kids.' It makes a lot of sense to have a week in Dubai. It is good value."

Occupancy has reached 100 per cent at a number of Dubai hotels this month, largely because of special entertainment events, major conferences, and political unrest in parts of the Middle East.

rbundhun@thenational.ae