Exotic Celebrations

Dubai is gaining popularity each year with the number of attractions it launches, which is resulting in an increased demand for MICE here

- Neha Gupta Kapoor

It is September 18, 2017. Taxis and cars are jostling for space, trying to drop off their passengers outside Dubai World Trade Centre. Delegates from the UAE and other countries hurry across the heated pavement leading to the entrance of the event space, where they queue up for bag check and registration. Once inside, these attendees make their way to all or either of the six co-located trade shows for Dubai International Hospitality Week (DIHW): GulfHost, owned and organised by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC); The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show, owned and organised by dmg events; and The Speciality Food Festival (DWTC), SEAFEX Middle East (DWTC) and yummex ME, jointly organised by DWTC and Kölnmesse.

DIHW’s first event was in 2016, and the fact that it received about 50,000 people over a period of three days is proof of Dubai’s hospitality industry being critical for the emirate’s economy. In a press release circulated by Dubai World Trade Centre, Issam Kazim, the CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) was quoted as saying: “The hospitality sector has long been a key pillar of Dubai’s tourism industry and the emirate’s wider economy. The dramatic growth we’ve seen in the sector over the years is testament to the attractiveness of Dubai as an investment prospect and a destination that prides itself on offering an environment that facilitates and supports business success.”

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