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Dubai launches £600 invite rewards to boost tourism amid regional war
The Dubai Invite program offers residents benefits worth over 3,000 UAE dirham, with visitor nominations capped at one per person and packages redeemable until December.
Dubai has launched the Dubai Invite scheme to encourage residents to bring friends and relatives to the emirate as international tourist numbers slump amid the regional conflict involving Iran. According to the Guardian Business, the initiative, run by the department of economy and tourism, provides residents with benefits worth more than 3,000 UAE dirham, about £610, in exchange for nominating eligible visitors who arrive on tourist visas.
The scheme includes a “benefits package” covering hotel stays, dining deals, and attraction tickets, and is open to residents of the United Arab Emirates. The eligibility terms allow each resident to request up to three benefit packages for visitors arriving before October 31, with benefits redeemable until December, while each visitor can be nominated only once and must be a non-UAE resident.
The rollout comes as Dubai’s tourism sector experiences a downturn after the conflict drew the UAE deeper into the US Israel war with Iran, the outlet noted. The article says international passenger numbers fell sharply, and that by February Iran retaliated with missiles and drones that hit Dubai’s Fairmont hotel and the emirate’s international airport.
The Guardian Business also points to knock-on impacts on airlines and businesses, including reports that the number of airlines operating at Dubai airports has halved because planes were turned around, and that some hotels have reduced operations or announced major closures and renovations. The report says some businesses are adopting discounts and free nights, and it cites reports of massive hotel vacancies and revenue declines of more than 50 percent.