UAE Residents Drive Visitor Numbers At Dubai Theme Parks As Domestic Tourism Rises

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Dubai's theme parks and attractions have seen a big rise in visits from UAE residents, even as the number of international tourists fell earlier this year due to the regional situation. That is according to Fernando Eiroa, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding Entertainment, that operates several attractions in Dubai, including Global Village and Dubai Parks and Resorts (DPR).

In an interview with Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the launch of the group's new season, Fernando said the shift has been one of the most noticeable trends of the year. While some parks were closed for a period and tourist numbers dropped, residents stepped in to fill the gap.

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"We saw a big number and a big increase of residents visiting the parks and a lot of them were families," he said. "We saw this and we prepared some special events and programs and promotions to attract the local residents. This worked extremely well."

Why local tourism is increasing

Fernando believes the reason for the uptick in local tourism is simple- families need things to do, especially when life feels uncertain.

"This situation is very difficult for a lot of people,” he said.“Especially when you have children, you have to do something with them. You have to continue on with life.”

One of the strongest signs of local demand came when Global Village reopened earlier this year after being closed for over a month during the regional tensions. Fernando said some days after reopening saw higher visitor numbers than before. "It was extremely well-received. On some days we had more visitation after reopening,” he said.

Other attractions also performed well. He said Roxy Cinemas is "doing very, well," and Green Planet has also posted a strong performance. "Now that we have reopened all the parks, I was walking around in MotionGate and I was extremely happy to see children and families walking around,” he said.“So the crowds are coming back and we have very high expectations for this season."

New attractions

Fernando said the company used the downtime earlier this year to speed up planned improvements. That means visitors can expect a long list of new experiences this season.

On Friday, Global Village announced new pavilions, a new roller coaster called Tokyo Rush, in addition to adding new restaurants and concerts.

At Riverland in DPR, more than 14 new attractions have been added, including bowling with arcade games and a brand-new Lamborghini driving simulator experience. The go-kart track has been expanded to three times its previous size after customer feedback. At MotionGate, the Addams Family show has opened, which Fernando described as "Broadway quality." Fernando said that a new park and some hotels are also in the pipeline for DPR but it was too early to talk about it.

He added that Roxy Cinemas will also be expanding to new locations soon and Green Planet has welcomed new animals and experiences.

Glamping season

The T-rex glamping at DPR, which was launched last season but ran for only a short time, is returning for a full season. Fernando described it as a luxury experience.

"It's like a very high-end hotel,” he said.“You have the bathrooms, showers, kitchen, and beds inside. Outside, you have the barbecue grill, a private garden and even a plunge pool in some of them. So, it is a unique experience for families.”

Entry to the DPR parks is included in the price of the stay, and there is a dinosaur-shaped swimming pool and movies at the resort. He also said that particular care had been taken to build life-sized dinosaurs throughout the park.

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