PC: Dubai Media Office
To strengthen Dubai’s tourism landscape and raise the bar of experience for visitors, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Premier Inn Middle East. Jointly operated by Emirates and Whitbread PLC, Premier Inn is widely known as a quality hotel for accommodation and concurs with DET’s resolve to cater to the travelling needs of the various international visitors. With this partnership, DET is committed to enhancing collaboration with industry to drive tourism growth and providing better training for the hospitality industry.
The agreement speaks to D33, Dubai Economic Agenda, the aim of which is to make Dubai a first class business and leisure global hub. According to the MoU, a key component to it is that Premier Inn will actively promote Dubai as a premier travel destination using advertising, trade fair participation, exhibitions, social media campaigns, etc. Both these efforts will reach out to B2C and B2B audience to reach the maximum audience and impact.
DET and Premier Inn will also work beyond marketing to design and create exclusive tourism products that promote Dubai’s cultural heritage, seasonal attractions and special offers. The integrated travel packages will be specially tailor made for specific markets and will allow visitors to enjoy memorable and personalized experiences.
By virtue of associating with DET’s Dubai College of Tourism, Premier Inn employees would receive specialized training to ensure exceptional levels of standards of hospitality. It also includes series of workshops, certification courses, and expert led sessions in areas of customer service, cultural awareness, destination knowledge,e and revenue management. Both partners have a great adage of excellence in hospitality and that’s in tandem with the initiative.
At present, Premier Inn runs 11 hotels in the Middle East, including seven in Dubai, including its latest in Barsha Heights and the sprawling one at Ibn Battuta Mall. They are looking to make further inroads for themselves in existing and new markets while the group continues to do so.
Research indicates that Dubai welcomed 18.72 million tourists who spent at least one night in 2024 which exceeded 2023 numbers by 9%, and reached 17.15 million visitors. The city has experienced two successive years of breaking visitation records. Hotel establishments in Dubai maintained solid performance throughout 2024 through their 78.2% occupancy rate. The total number of hotels increased from 821 to 832 during the year, resulting in a new hotel capacity of 154,016 rooms in Dubai.
Dubai preserves its position as a worldwide attraction through innovative partnerships and continuous advancement in addition to delivering outstanding service which continues to draw millions of visitors and grows its economic strength. The DET-Premier Inn partnership demonstrates the city’s purpose to establish groundbreaking standards for both tourism and hospitality service.
