Paris. Dubai has been chosen to host the World Expo trade convention in 2020 – beating off rival bids from Brazil, Turkey and Russia. Dubai will be the first Middle Eastern city to hold the Expo. Gathered in Paris, France, for the 154th Bureau International des Exhibitions (BIE) General Assembly, representatives of the 168 BIE member nations voted on Dubai’s bid – themed ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’. Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) explains that hosting Expo 2020 would have a significant impact on the tourism industry of Dubai and the UAE.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and CEO of Dubai World Trade Centre said: “From the outset, Dubai’s Expo bid was part of the government’s long-term vision that ensures sustainable national development and a prosperous future for the UAE. Hosting Expo 2020 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that will be maximised to accelerate the growth of the tourism industry in Dubai, the UAE and the wider GCC region. In May of this year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, approved the Tourism Vision for 2020, a strategy which sets a clear path towards developing Dubai’s tourism industry and furthering its contribution to Dubai’s economy, with the headline target of welcoming 20 million visitors to Dubai a year by 2020. In our journey to achieve our target, we will can now leverage the hosting of Expo 2020 and the focus it will place on Dubai as a means to attract visitors to Dubai, not just during the six months of the Expo itself, but in the seven years leading up to it.”
There are currently 82,000 hotel and hotel apartment rooms in Dubai. The DTCM expects this figure to double by 2020 and announces that it will work with partners in both government and the private sector to put in place the infrastructure and processes needed to meet the demand of the 25 million expected visitors over the Expo period.
