More than 600 agents have attended dinners hosted by the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) team, while a further 200 agents have visited the emirate this year.
The numbers have come following a concerted push by the representative office which has overseen the relaunch of the Dubai Expert training programme, which has seen 7,800 agents register, and the enhancement of the Dubai Update trade website.
Meanwhile, the focus group programme, which was introduced this year, has provided a discussion forum for the trade, allowing the DTCM gauge industry perceptions of the destination.
The new initiatives have been reflected in a rise in UK visitor numbers with a 3% year-on-year increase in the second quarter of 2010.
Ian Scott, director UK and Ireland for the DTCM, said: “The travel trade is so important to us at the DTCM and we recognise that there is a lot that can be done to make life easier for agents.
“Throughout 2010 we have improved our training programme, enhanced our trade resources website, hosted numerous familiarisation trips and partnership dinners with training, and instigated a new initiative to listen to agents’ views in focus groups.
“We hope these concerted and targeted activities will have the combined effect of improving agents’ knowledge of Dubai and of further building our relationship with them so that we can achieve our shared goal of sending more visitors to Dubai.”
- More from WTM at travelweekly.co.uk/wtm2010