Engaging the national psyche of a country towards delivering a truly memorable visitor experience is key to the long-term success of the Middle East’s tourism industry, according to an international branding expert.
“National pride is the cornerstone of the tourism industry. It’s a business which cannot be confined to the boardroom. Everyone in the country is a shareholder and its success depends on their support,” said Judy Neil, a Dubai-based marketing and communications consultant with branding experience across the Middle East and Africa.
Neil is to deliver a seminar devoted to ‘Engaging The National Psyche For Delivery’ at next year’s Arabian Travel Market, the Middle East’s premier travel and tourism industry exhibition.
“Tourism is not only about products and services,” said Neil. “It’s also about who we are and what we represent as a city or a country. Travelling is a sequence of experiences documented from the time we leave home until our return. It is this sequence of small, or large, experiences by which we are measured and it is the overall experience by which we are judged.
“With aggressive tourism plans being implemented by each emirate, combined with increased expectations of tourists in terms of value for money, service delivery and a ‘wow’ experience, the challenge facing the local industry is the fact that 80% of UAE residents are foreigners with no cultural or heritage links to the region.”
Neil says that engaging the national psyche is the key to improving the overall experience of every tourist and had been used successfully in the Far East.
“It is crucial to ensuring return visits, longer stays and an increase in ‘first-time’ travellers. Singapore and Malaysia have embraced this philosophy with great success,” she said.
“Travel and tourism is about attitude. It involves everyone who is a resident of a city or country. When the national psyche has embraced tourism and everyone knows that they have a part to play and a contribution to make towards the travel experience of every visitor, then we are on our way to becoming the leading destination.
Neil points out that the World Tourism Council has declared the travel and tourism industry as the largest sector employer on the globe accounting for 1 in every 11.5 jobs worldwide
“Travel and tourism is far too important to be left in the hands of a few catering for so many. We have to approach travel and tourism as the most important brand in a stable of many, serving millions of customers across multiple target markets,” added Neil.
Engaging The National Psyche is part of an educational seminar programme planned by Arabian Travel Market organisers Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) as part of the expanded trade visitor experience of the show, which runs at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates from May 1-4, 2007.
“The seminar programme is now being compiled and will address some of the hottest topics now impacting the local, regional and international travel and tourism industry,” said Chris Chackal, Group Exhibition Director, Overseas Events, RTE. “This free-to-attend seminar programme is set for another round of expansion following this year’s high delegate turnout.
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading organiser of exhibitions and conferences. Reed brings together over 90,000 suppliers and more than 5.5 million buyers from around the world every year generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 38 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 33 fully staffed offices.
Reed’s portfolio of over 460 events serves 52 industry sectors, including:
aerospace and defense, building and construction, design, electronics, energy, oil and gas, entertainment, food and hospitality, gifts, healthcare, IT/telecoms, jewellery, manufacturing, marketing and business services, pharmaceuticals, property, publishing, sport and recreation, transport and logistics and travel.
Working closely with professional bodies, trade associations and government departments Reed ensures that each and every event is targeted and relevant to industry needs. As a result, many Reed events are market leaders in their field.
Reed Exhibitions is part of Reed Elsevier, a FTSE 100 company and world-leading publisher and information provider, with revenues in excess of £4.8 billion (US$ 8.4 billion) (2004).
Reed Travel Exhibitions organise 17 events worldwide, including World Travel Market, Arabian Travel Market, C.I.S. Travel Market, EIBTM, British Travel Trade Fair, Asia Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME), International Golf Travel Market, Top Resa, Mediterranean Travel Fair, ICCA Exhibition, in association with the ICCA Congress, International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), La Cumbre, City Break, China Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM), Latin American & Caribbean Incentive & Meetings Exhibition (LACIME), Gulf Incentive Business Travel & Meetings (GIBTM) and Asia Luxury Travel Market (ALTM).
For further press information, please visit the Reed Travel Exhibitions' website on www.reedtravelexhibitions.com
