AS the summer takes hold of the UAE, we chat with Mark Fernando, general manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai, who shares his summer strategies with TTN.
How will you attract guests to stay at Ramada Downtown Dubai this summer?
Summer has been considered as a low season Dubai, but a number of tourists and residents see this as an opportunity to take advantage of more competitive rates. Ramada Downtown Dubai has planned tactical promotions during this period including special rates for hospitality professionals, and bundled promotions offering discounts with IMG World of Adventures & Dubai Dolphinarium.
With GCC being the hotel’s top feeder market, Ramada Downtown Dubai also has exclusive summer rates to attract family travellers from the region during the school holiday.
The property will also make the most of the special events happening in Dubai, including the Dubai Summer Surprises, and Eid holidays, to highlight its promotions.
Can you tell us why Downtown Dubai is a good location for visitors to Dubai this summer?
Downtown Dubai is an excellent location all-year round. Conversely, during the summer period, our location provides added advantage to our guests with its proximity to the top tourist landmarks including the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain. We are also close to newer attractions like the Dubai Opera and Dubai Frame.
Downtown Dubai and Business Bay are rapidly seeing rise of hotel inventory. How do you see yourself stay ahead of the competition?
Location has always been the property’s key selling point. Ramada Downtown Dubai is the only four-star property in Downtown Dubai, and the hotel with a direct view of the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Fountain.
In addition, the property has managed to keep abreast of the competition through its excellent reputation for top-quality accommodation and most importantly, high standards of service. The team already established a loyal base of clientele over the years.
Who are your most important feeder markets this year?
The GCC market, specifically, Saudi Arabia, remains as the top feeder market for Ramada Downtown Dubai, with 36 per cent year-to-date percentage in the nationality mix.
The property is actively targeting tourist arrivals from China, to take advantage of the visa on arrival for Chinese visitors. To date, the arrivals from China accounts to approximately 5 per cent of the guest mix. Another market that we are targeting is the Russian market, which has picked up in recent months due to two factors: the visa on arrival for Russians which was announced last year, and the recovery from its financial crisis back in 2014.