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Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) will be out in force for World Travel Market (WTM) Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, bolstering its commitment to the continent’s travel trade and business and consumer travellers.

Guests to the Dubai stand will be treated to a showcase of Dubai’s upcoming theme parks, alongside 14 Dubai city partners offering a comprehensive range of services for African travellers, including budget and five-star luxury holidays, hotels, tours and packages.

The Dubai stand also features a blend of heritage and culture and cutting-edge technology: guests can enjoy henna artists in the traditional Majlis and also experience Dubai 360, an immersive virtual reality tour of the city that allows guests to see first-hand some of Dubai’s most breath-taking scenes and attractions without leaving the stand.

Speaking ahead of WTM Africa, Stella Obinwa, Regional Director for Africa at Dubai Tourism, said: “African countries have youthful and increasingly prosperous populations that have an appetite to travel and see the world. 

Dubai’s proximity and connectivity to the African continent makes it a natural choice to be the number one travel destination for African travellers.

As Dubai diversifies its tourism offering with world-class theme parks launching later this year, together with our internationally-renowned retail landscape, we believe Dubai has the right mix of attractions for the growing African market.”  

Dubai’s entertainment offering is set to be further boosted with the opening of Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest integrated theme park destination. Scheduled to open in October this year, Dubai Parks and Resorts will feature motiongate™ Dubai – a unique theme park showcasing some of Hollywood’s most beloved characters from DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Studios and Lionsgate as well as the region’s first LEGOLAND® Park and a LEGOLAND® Water Park.

Committed to bringing together the best of the East and West, Dubai Parks and Resorts will also feature Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, the first ever theme park based on the sights and sounds of Bollywood. The entire destination will be connected by Riverland™ Dubai – a retail, dining and entertainment walkway. Guests can stay at the Lapita™ Hotel, Autograph Collection, a Polynesian-themed resort catering to families.

Raed Kajoor Al Nuaimi, CEO Dubai Parks and Resorts said: “Ahead of our launch in October 2016, we are excited to give both travel companies and visitors a glimpse of how we further enhance Dubai’s varied offering.

With the opening of three theme parks, a water park, as well as a hotel, retail and dining options, we are proud to cement Dubai’s reputation as a destination of choice for the entire family.”

Last year Dubai welcomed more than 750,000 visitors from the African continent. Nigeria remains Dubai’s top African source market, but the emirate has also maintained a focus on key African markets such as Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, Angola and the United Republic of Tanzania through a series of road shows and trade events across the region.

Stella Obinwa commented: “The African continent shows a lot of potential for us to tap into this year and moving forward, and we are grateful for the opportunities WTM Africa provides to highlight our commitment to the region.

The launch of our enhanced family friendly offerings, as well as increased connectivity through new flight routes launched by Emirates and flydubai, further bolsters our relations with the region, and we are positive more travellers will continue to visit us for an unrivalled holiday experience.”