DUBAI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 representatives of tour operators from 12 African countries on Monday concluded a six-day trip here hosted by Dubai's tourism authority.
The tour, which included site visits and workshops, was the latest effort by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) to attract more tourists from Africa.
Dubai Tourism, in an emailed statement, described the group as the largest ever of travel trade professionals from the African continent.
The more than 300 senior management executives came from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mauritius, Uganda, Tanzania and Cote d'Ivoire.
"This African mega familiarisation trip has the dual objective of showcasing Dubai as the destination of choice for families and travellers from one of the world's largest continents, and also that the city is truly a year-round travel consideration," said Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing CEO Issam Kazim.
Earlier in the year, Dubai Tourism said the emirate, famous for the world's tallest tower Burj Khalifa, at 828 meters, the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel, and its beaches and shopping malls, received over 14.2 million tourists in 2015, a 7.5 percent increase over 2014.
As part of efforts to meet Dubai's Tourism Vision of attracting over 20 million visitors by 2020, "we continue to work closely with our stakeholders and partners to encourage more visitors from African source markets," Kazim said.
