For the seventh consecutive year, Dubai hosted the Annual Congress of Natalie Tours at Atlantis hotel from September 29 to October 4, offering 250 of its travel agents from Russia, CIS and Baltic region valuable insights into the emirate’s varied tourism products and attractions.
In the first quarter of 2011, Dubai properties hosted 171,329 guests from these markets, an increase of 24 per cent compared with the corresponding period in 2010.
The congress has been organised by Natalie Tours , Alpha Tours, the largest tour operator in Dubai in cooperation with Atlantis .
The congress was also attended by Mr.Ghassan El Aridi, CEO of Alpha Tours, Adnan Aridi General Manager and Ms. Natalia Vorobieva, CEO of Natalie Tours.
Recalling her company’s long association with Dubai and its efforts in selling holiday packages to Dubai to Russians and tourists in other markets, Ms. Natalia said the choice of Dubai as the host city for their annual congress reaffirms the importance of Dubai as a distinctive tourist destination and its ability to attract a high number of Russian tourists.
Natalie Tours, in cooperation with Alpha Tours, had signed an agreement with flydubai airline to offer regular flights between Dubai and some of the important Russian cities outside Moscow, such as Yekaterinburg and Samara. The deal is expected to increase the number of tourists from the Russian, CIS and Ukranian markets to Dubai in the coming years .
Dubai’s first low cost airline announced that three Ukrainian cities – Kiev, Kharkiv and Donetsk – have become new destinations on the airline’s rapidly growing network in September.
According to Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR), in a report in May 2011, said the interest of the Russians in the UAE increased considerably during the first three months of the year. For example, the growth of the visits of the Russians to Dubai amounted to 27 per cent during the first quarter of the year in comparison with the same period of last year.
The number of the tourists of Natalie Tours in Dubai increased by 76 per cent during the period from January till March 2011 in comparison with the same period of last year. The share of Natalie Tours in the UAE market comes nearly to 40 per cent according to the results of the first quarter of 2011.
Established in April 1992, Natalie Tours has been a leading tour operator of Russia offering holiday packages to various destinations, including the UAE in general and Dubai in particular.
Mr. Ghassan El Aridi, said Natalie Tours has been playing a key role in ensuring the steady annual increase in Russian tourists to Dubai.
Dubai hosts Natalie Tours Annual Congress for 7th consecutive year
