PICS: DUBAI TO HOST SUMMER ACTIVITIES & FAMILY ATTRACTIONS IN NIGERIA

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) and its 15 city partners are set to embark on a series of roadshows across Nigeria, further generating awareness of the Dubai’s destination offering among the country’s travel trade and consumer travellers.

As part of a strategy to boost the number of tourists visiting the emirate from Nigeria and the wider African continent, the Dubai delegationwill tour the country from May 10th - 16th. The roadshows begin in Lagos,followed byPort Harcourt, before ending the tour in Abuja.This marks the first time Dubai Tourism has organised a road show in Nigeria, generating an opportunity for its delegates to engage with key trade partners including tour operators, travel agents, and MICE specialists.

Dubai Tourism will be joined throughout by 15 co-participants, representing over 24 hotels and brands, including Emirates, Dubai Parks and Resorts, Dubai Immigration and Emaar to showcase the breadth of Dubai’s destination offering.

Commenting ahead of the roadshow, Stella Obinwa, Regional Director for Africa at Dubai Tourism, said: “The strength of Nigeria as a source market for tourists is well-known to us at Dubai Tourism, and this roadshow provides us with the opportunity to tap into this immense potential. We have seen the success of previous engagement with key professionals during various events, most recently the World Travel Market Africa last month, and we look forward to making long-lasting and fruitful trade relationships during these roadshows to further grow the tourism market in Nigeria for the benefit of all.”

Following this, Dubai Tourism is organising an Africa mega familiarisation trip to Dubai in June – the first of its kind organised by Dubai Tourism for trade professionals in Africa. Involving over 500 travel trade professionals, with 350 from West and East Africa, the trip has been created with the aim to provide them with first-hand experience of the array of world-class entertainment offerings available in Dubai.

A large focus of the roadshow would be on upcoming summer activities such as Dubai Summer Surprises, which returns with its 19th edition this year to entertain visitors and residents alike, as well as feature an array of retail promotions for shoppers looking for a value-for-money shopping experience. Furthermore, this summer also sets the stage for the unveiling of IMG Worlds of Adventure, due to launch on 15th August and delight families with four unique zones themed after Marvel, Lost Valley, and Cartoon Network characters, as well as IMG Boulevard.

Another new addition to Dubai’s expansive entertainment offering is Dubai Parks and Resorts, the largest integrated theme park destination in the region, which is scheduled to open in October this year. The destination will feature the Hollywood-inspired motiongate™ Dubai,Bollywood Parks™ – a first-of-its-kind entertainmentthemepark that brings the Bollywood experience to life, and the region’s first LEGOLAND® Park and a LEGOLAND® Water Park. A retail, dining and entertainment walkway, Riverland™ Dubai is set to connect the different parks, while guests can stay at the Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian-themed resort catering to families.

“Diversification is key to our growth, and as our efforts continue to further enhance Dubai’s overall tourism offering, we look forward to the opportunities this roadshow presents to help widen Nigerian travellers’ knowledge of everything that Dubai has to offer,” Stella Obinwa added.

Dubai continues to be a popular tourist destination for Nigerian travellers due to its close proximity and the increased air connectivity over the past year. Annual figures released by Dubai Tourism show the emirate attracted over 700,000 visitors from Africain 2015, with Nigeria retaining its position as Dubai’s top African source market.