|
Dec 6, 2005
An increasing number of British travelers
have rated Dubai over destinations like New York for a
“short-break” holiday. The emirate offers a charming blend of Arabian
hospitality, five-star luxury, year-round sunshine and clean sandy beaches.
With improved air services between Dubai and the
UK, British holidaymakers
are heading towards Dubai
in droves.
Dubai
has seen a robust increase in visitor arrivals from the UK over the last 10 years. Since
2002, the UK has emerged as Dubai’s top travel origin
market with exceptionally strong growth of over 30 percent in 2004. Around
600,000 British guests arrived in Dubai
last year.
Establishment of six five-star luxury
properties in 2005 and improved air-connectivity has also helped Dubai strengthen its position in the UK market. Currently 115 direct
flights link Dubai and the UK and 190 UK
tour operators feature Dubai in their programs,
with their numbers expected to grow in parallel with the rapid expansion of Dubai’s tourism
infrastructure.
Properties welcoming visitors for the
first time in 2005 include the Grosvenor House at Dubai Marina with 218 rooms
and top 11 floors dedicated to premium executive accommodation; Villa Rotana
Suites (due to open at 2005 end) and Al Murooj Rotana on Sheikh Zayed Road with
a total of 588 units; Park Hyatt’s exclusive 225-room property at Dubai Creek
and Golf Club with eight unique spa rooms; 342-room Habtoor Grand Resort &
Spa on Jumeirah Beach and the Al Jaddaf Waterfront (due to open by end 2005) to
provide a further of 330 rooms.
|
