Dubai Tourism is uniting families across the globe and demonstrating the importance of the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market to the Emirate.

2 Indians, Ravinder Singh from Amristar, Punjab, Assistant Restaurant Manager( Antique Bazaar) Four Points By Sheraton Bur Dubai and Hanif Kalamata, Front Office Manager at Ramada Hotel Dubai from Mangalore are 2 proud winners of this special contest, which included 11 other winners.

Part of the wider #MyDubai initiative, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) ran an exclusive hotel competition in 2014. The competition, spread over a period of three weeks, invited employees of each participating hotel to post images or videos that best defined their #MyDubai experience with one winner selected from each hotel. The 11 finalists each won an all-expenses paid trip to Dubai for two members of their families to experience the city with them.  The campaign and prizes embody the soul of Dubai – uniting families with their loved ones, celebrating their emotions and creating special moments for them to share. It further highlights Dubai’s positioning as a family destination that offers a unique getaway for the entire family with events and activities to entertain all ages.

Dubai Tourism and 11 participating hotels are hosting families from India, China, Australia, the UK, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Venezuela, Thailand and Portugal after their family member won the #MyDubai Hotel Edition competition by sharing their individual #MyDubaistories, moments and experienceson Instagram.

On Sunday 17th May, the winners and their families came together for a farewell brunch at The H Dubai which was a chance for the visitors to share their Dubai experiences together and reflect on what they have discovered in the emirate before flying back to their home countries.

Aside from enjoying four nights in the hotel at which their respective family member works, the visitors have been offered various experiences inlcuding hot air ballooning with Ballooning Adventures Emirates, a cultural experience at Sheikh Mohammed Cultural Centre of Understanding (SMCCU) including an Abra ride, a tour of Deira and the Spice and Gold Souks and a Desert Safari experience with Platinum Heritage. Several personalized activities have also been included for family groups including visits to the Butterfly Garden; Bounce – Dubai’s largest trampoline playground; Spa treatments;culinary experiences at Top Chef; Sky Diving in the desert; and a styling session with a stylist at The Dubai Mall.

Issam Kazim,Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing said “We launched this competition at Dubai Tourism’s  first quarterly“Hotels PR and Communications Forum” in September 2014with the aim of encouraging hotels to engage their staff to share their stories and highlight the VFR market of Dubai as a whole. The winners of our competition are from nine different countries which is quite a diverse mix but this reflects the fact that there are more than200 nationalities uniting and living in Dubai and the hospitality industry is a reflection of the diversity found within Dubai.

“As the project comes into full fruition, we will continue to highlight how important the Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market is to Dubai Tourism and the industry as a whole but we will also continue to recognize the hard work of all the employees of hotels who dedicate themselves to creating an enjoyable experience for all guests, from all over the world including UAE residents. Many of our winners hadn’t seen their families for quite some time, several hadn’t ever seen where their son or daughter workednor visited Dubai,” Kazim continued.

The participating hotels areThe H Dubai;Media One Hotel;Kempinski Dubai – Mall of the Emirates; Anantara Dubai The Palm Resort and Spa; Sheraton Dubai Mall of the Emirates Hotel;Mövenpick Ibn Batutta Gate Hotel; Four Points by Sheraton – Bur Dubai;Ramada Dubai – Bur Dubai; ManzilDowntown Dubai Hotel; Holiday Inn Express Jumeirah; and InterContinental Hotel Dubai Festival City.

“The H Dubai is delighted to have been involved in the #MyDubai Hotel Edition as it enabled us to reward our associates and furthermore learn about their Dubai experiences and stories. Sometimes, with our busy daily routines, we forget that we all have tales to tell and experiences to share which can often highlight a different side to the unique Emirate of Dubai. From all corners of the globe and from all walks of life – this project has enabled us to unite and showcase that Dubai is a city for everyone,” commented Guy Bertuad from The H Dubai.

Launched via His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai’sInstagram and Twitter accounts in in January 2014, #MyDubaiencourages both residents of Dubai and visitors to the emirate to share compelling moments of their lives and the true culture and soul of the city that lies beneath the urban and technological experiences.Up to date, over 4.2 million stories and experiences have been shared using #MyDubaion Instagram.

Dubai Tourism has a dedicated YouTube channel and a Facebook account to promote #MyDubai stories and footage.

Source : Lokesh Shastri