UAE-based Alpha Destination Management will organise a familiarisation trip for 500 travel agents from Germany this year as part of efforts to attract more German tourists next summer till the end of the year.

The trip, which was announced by Samir Hamadeh, general manager - Alpha Destination Management at the recently concluded ITB Berlin, will be conducted in cooperation with DTCM, Emirates Airline and JT Touristik.

According to DTCM’s statistics, Dubai welcomed 14.2 million visitors in 2015, a rise of 7.5 per cent from 2014, with arrivals from Western Europe going up 6.1 per cent.

Hamadeh said that they are planning to increase the number of German visitors by 22 per cent as compared to last year, which amounted to around 80,000.

“During ITB Berlin our company also signed a contract with Eden Viaggi, one of the leading tour operators in Italy to attract more tourists to Ras Al Khaimah in the next summer season,” he added.

Moreover, representatives from the group's recently formed ‘Golf department’ also met with different tour operators to showcase the many golf courses in Dubai.

According to Hamadeh, the German tourist market is one of the major markets for Dubai in general and for Alpha Destination Management in particular.

With an eye on European travellers, Hamadeh added: “Alpha Destination Management will also be participating in the upcoming Sea Trade Exhibition in Miami and MITT in Moscow.” - TradeArabia News Service