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Ajman seeks to boost UK arrivals by 20pc

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The emirate of Ajman in the UAE aims to woo travellers from the UK

Ajman Tourism Development Department (ATDD) plans to heavily promote Ajman’s destination website during the three-day World Travel Market London to ensure travel operators are aware of the emirate’s latest developments and offerings. Apart from the finest hotels, resorts, cultural and heritage attractions on offer, the focus will also shift on the upcoming developments in Ajman, including the much anticipated Al Zorah Golf Club and the soon to open five-star beach resort, The Oberoi Al Zorah.

Armed with new marketing strategies, the department aims at increasing arrivals from the UK by 20 per cent in 2017.

A custom designed museum corner at the ATDD stand will give visitors a glimpse of the variety and diversity of historical and cultural offerings of Ajman, including the live henna counter, surely it’s going to be a hit with the ladies.

Post exit, British holiday-makers are finding it more and more expensive due to the dual impact of the falling pound, and challenging economic conditions, destinations like Ajman offering budget as well as value heavy options, can stand out to be among the biggest gainers.

Kai Schukowski and Ferghal Purcell


EVOLVING TO IMPRESS

In accordance with ATDD’s plans to attract more travellers from the UK and beyond, Kempinski Hotel Ajman introduced a new room category from August 2016. Designated as the Signature Deluxe room, a total of 44 of these units are going to be among the most high-end offerings in the hotel’s inventory of 182 rooms. The Signature Deluxe rooms are located on 7th and 8th floors, which are the highest floors in the hotel, and offer wonderful panoramic views from the private balcony.

Commenting on the recent implementation, Kempinski Hotel Ajman general manager Kai Schukowski said, 'We have re-categorised our rooms, in order to be able to better target the clientele, and to better cater to their needs. As we have more room categories now, where we are able to provide more personalised room options, we can individualise and customise the room allocation as per the guest preference and offer them more variance.'


SHOP TILL YOU DROP

With a strategic focus on shopping as a touristic attraction in Ajman, ATDD has inked an MOU with Gulf Chinese Trading Corporation, the operator of Ajman China Mall. The two parties will work together to lay down frameworks for building Ajman’s tourism appeal for shopping and retail therapy in the local, regional and international markets.

Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) are another area of development in Ajman that experts believe will be responsible for overall growth. The GCC Mice market is valued at $1.3 billion, and Ajman hoteliers are aware of the potential. Speaking at an industry panel, Ferghal Purcell, general manager of the Ajman Palace Hotel, said, 'The UAE is one of the safest destinations in the world and has set a great example in that direction. The developments in terms of infrastructure and facilities taking shape for Dubai Expo 2020 will further boost its global and regional positioning as a Mice destination. One third of the world’s population lives within four hours of flight from Ajman and the UAE.'


A TOP-SELLER DURING EID

Ajman’s tourism industry has showed a sterling performance during the Eid Al Adha holidays in September this year. Average occupancy for hotels and hotel apartments was 98 per cent, with a majority of the establishments reporting increase in occupancy during the last days of Eid. Last-minute bookings, and staycation are popular trends among tourists heading for Ajman properties.

'The tourism performance for Ajman during Eid Al Adha is very encouraging. The figures we received from the establishments indicate that Ajman is becoming a preferred destination of the domestic market including visitors from the GCC countries. We are also receiving new visitors from Asia and Europe who are here to discover what Ajman has to offer as a safe family and leisure destination,' concludes Faisal Al Nuaimi, general manager of ATDD.


Staff Reporter

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