Tourism in Dubai 'could explode in 2015'

A group of tour providers that offer trips to Dubai believe that 2015 could be an even brighter year for the emirate's tourism industry.

Alpha Tours, Natalie Tours and TUI met earlier this week to discuss tourism in Dubai and the wider UAE, engaging in healthy discussions about what experiences can be taken from 2014 and what can be done to ensure this year is just as successful, if not more.

During the course of 2015, Dubai is expected to attract more than 15 million visitors from around the globe, which reflects the positive growth of the hotel industry.

In the first half of 2014, more than 5.8 million guests stayed in the emirate's accommodation, marking the busiest six months for the hotel industry ever and it is hoped a similar performance will be achieved this year.

The event, organised by Alpha Tours, focused on the efforts and initiatives that are currently being undertaken by Natalie Tours and TUI to boost tourism to the UAE and offered both firms a platform to outline their plans for 2015.

According to the group of tour operators, Dubai and the wider UAE continue to demonstrate their popularity among tourists as a world-class destination for both leisure and business.

Adnan Aridi, managing director of Alpha Tours, believes that the best is still to come for the area. He said: "With targets to attract 3.5 million hotel guests to Abu Dhabi in 2015, and a vision to bring in 20 million tourists per year to Dubai by 2020, the UAE's tourism industry is ready for an exciting new year and a brighter future."

Natalie Tours has carved itself a particular niche in the market, focusing on Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States and has attracted over two million tourists from these areas in the last ten years.

TUI is a leading operating firm based in Germany and is renowned for providing high-quality end-to-end customer experiences to over 31 million customers a year, many of which choose to travel to Dubai and the wider UAE.