Dubai Tourism has announced a new GCC-wide partnership with Gulf Reps, one of the region’s travel consultancy agencies, as part of its ongoing drive to attract more visitors from across the Gulf to holiday in the emirate.

The partnership will give Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Tourism, access to Gulf Reps’ extensive network of travel industry professionals and media, as it targets increased tourist numbers from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Under the agreement, Gulf Reps will operate a representative office within the GCC with a specific focus on developing relationships with the region’s tourism market, leading travel trade publications and travel companies with the purpose of promoting Dubai as the preferred destination of choice for visitors from neighbouring GCC countries.

Overnight visitors from the GCC made up 18 percent of all tourists to Dubai in 2018, highlighting the region’s position as one of the most important source markets for Dubai. The collaboration with Gulf Reps will allow Dubai Tourism to maximise its exposure to, and relationship with, important industry and trade partners across the GCC, giving the city even greater visibility in strategic media outlets and travel industry publications as well as digital media.

Speaking on the occasion, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism, said, "Dubai continues to rank among the most popular destinations for holidaymakers from across the GCC. Our partnership with Gulf Reps is part of our ongoing strategy to attract even more visitors from our neighboring markets to Dubai year on year. We aim to target further growth in every potential segment of this important market, from short stay and weekend breaks to longer vacations, especially families who are our key audience and make-up the majority of visitors from the GCC region."