UK “critical” market for Dubai as a destination: Dubai Parks & Resorts
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The UK is a “critical market for Dubai as a destination” and is therefore “critical for Dubai Parks & Resorts”.
That’s the message from Julien Munoz, vice president – sales for Dubai Parks & Resorts, as the mega attraction, which will be fully open by 15 December, gears up to receive visitors.
“The UK also has a strong affinity with the parks so we expect British tourists holidaying in Dubai to visit Dubai Parks & Resorts,” he said.
“We don’t expect people to visit Dubai just for the theme parks at first, but it will change their behaviour while they visit Dubai – it will definitely encourage visitors to extend their length of stay for a few nights.”
Dubai Parks & Resorts is the region’s largest multi-themed family entertainment destination, offering more than 100 rides and attractions.
One of the destination’s theme parks, LEGOLAND® Dubai, has already opened its doors, with LEGOLAND® Water Park set to follow on Tuesday 15 November, along with Bollywood Parks™ Dubai and Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian-themed family resort that’s part of the Marriott Autograph® Collection.
Next month (December), the third theme park, MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, will open to the public.
The entire destination is connected by Riverland™ Dubai – a retail and dining destination, which opened for business for business last week.
A fourth theme park, Six Flags Dubai, will open in 2019.
Dubai Parks & Resorts is currently in talks with several major UK tour operators, travel firms, and consolidators with a view to promoting holiday packages that include tickets to the destination.
They include Emirates Holidays, Gold Medal, Travel 2, Thomas Cook, Travel Republic and Attraction World, to name a few.
Munoz said around 6.7 million visitors were expected at Dubai Parks & Resorts during its first year of operations, 70% of which would be international tourists.
Other than the UK, the destination’s biggest source markets would be from countries within a five-hour flight time of Dubai, such as the GCC (particularly Saudi and Kuwait), as well as India, because there is “no other proposition like this within that radius”, said Munoz.
“This has been a long-anticipated attraction for Emiratis, Saudis and also Indians,” he added.
In the longer term, Dubai Parks & Resorts would help establish Dubai and the UAE as a theme park capital of the world, Munoz continued.
“Our offering and planned expansion will make the UAE a strong contender in this field,” he said.
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