Dubai voted Middle East's Leading Destination

Dubai’s growing stature as an ideal round-the-year destination for business and leisure has received the global travel industry’s resounding approval with thousands of travel agents and agencies in over 200 countries voting the emirate as the Middle East’s leading destination for this year’s World Travel Awards.

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) also bagged the award as the Middle East’s leading Tourist and Convention Bureau.

Now in its 10th year, the World Travel Awards aims to promote excellence in the travel and tourism industry. 

The awards are the results of an online polling on a 12-language web site designed to find out the travel professionals’ favorites in destinations in five continents. 

Candidates for the World Travel Awards 2003 nominations were based upon the previous year’s voting.

This year’s scheme attracted the participation of 115,000 frontline travel agents and 80,000 travel agencies in over 200 countries around the world.

The awards were received by the DTCM officials at a grand ceremony held at the WTM Centre Stage on the sidelines of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London on the opening day of the four day fair on November 10.

The global acclaim has put more spotlight on Dubai which has mounted its biggest-ever presence in 14 years at the WTM.

A record 90 public and private sector organizations are the co-participants at the 425 square metre stand Dubai has taken at the 24th edition of WTM.

Acknowledging the confidence and appreciation of the industry, the DTCM Director Mr. Khalid A bin Sulayem said: “We are delighted to receive one of the highest accolades in the global travel market. It is a matter of great joy and satisfaction to learn that Dubai has won the hearts of tens of thousands of travel professionals.”

He added: “We are not resting on our past laurels, but working hard to take tourism to newer heights. Global recognitions like the World Travel Awards inspire us to pursue our ambitious goals with more determination and confidence. The World Travel Awards strongly endorses the position of Dubai as a truly international destination.”

The World Tourism Organization has praised Dubai for posting the world’s highest growth of 31 per cent in international visitor arrivals in 2002. Dubai hotel establishments received over 4.76 million guests in 2002, a 31.15 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

The first quarter of 2003 witnessed a 5.16 per cent increase in visitors to Dubai compared to the corresponding period last year.

Mr. bin Sulayem said the department has been pursuing an aggressive marketing and promotional agenda to achieve the goal of attracting 15 million tourists by the year 2010.

The department’s network of 13 overseas offices covering the key source markets has been active in offering enhanced exposure to the travel industry professionals about the world class infrastructure and facilities available in Dubai.

The awards presentation ceremony was graced by the leading travel industry figures, Dubai stand participants, and DTCM officials.

According to Mr. Graham E Cooke, President and Founder, World Travel Awards, the awards have become a hallmark of quality that many global travelers now look for when choosing their travel destinations.

The year 2003 has seen the highest level of voting in the World Travel Awards’ ten-year history. Voting forms were distributed to over a million travel agents worldwide and elicited a phenomenal response from the industry.

The stunning World Travel Award is cast and hand-finished in Bronze by distinguished fine jewellers, Jarvis of St. James.

Other World Travel Awards 2003 winners from Dubai includes Emirates (Middle East's Leading Airline), Dubai International Airport (Middle East's Leading Airport), and Dubai World Trade Centre (Middle East's Leading Conference Centre).