Dubai has underlined its status as a wedding destination of choice for couples looking to celebrate their big days and reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with wedding planners to create exceptional, safe experiences.
Leading the way globally as the sector recovers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau, recently hosted the latest edition of its Global Wedding Excellence Retreat, highlighting the city’s comprehensive offerings and creating stronger relationships with the wedding planner community.
With the strategic focus on the tourism and events sectors in Dubai, the city has established itself as a destination of choice for couples celebrating their special days, thanks to its wide range of hotels and venues, diverse and world class gastronomy, easy accessibility for guests and local expertise. Along with other business, leisure and social events, weddings have resumed and been taking place safely and successfully thanks to the city’s effective response to the pandemic.
Building on this, Dubai hosted 17 wedding planners from India to explore the latest offerings and get a better understanding of the experiences and services available in the city. Taking place 23-26 September, the 4th edition of the Global Wedding Excellence Retreat was supported by stakeholders from across Dubai, with a tailored itinerary to showcasing both new and established hotels, venues and attractions.
Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Amid the wider growth of Dubai’s tourism and events sectors, the city has established itself as a leading destination wedding option, appealing to couples and planners looking to create memorable experiences. Showcasing the city once again to wedding planners has provided us with the opportunity to familiarise them with the wide range of offerings in the city and the continued priority placed on everyone’s safety. Over the course of the global pandemic, we know that many couples were forced to put their plans on hold, and Dubai stands ready to work with them and their planners to ensure they can celebrate their big days in style with their friends and family.”
With the city’s hotels being at the heart of the destination offering for wedding planners and couples, the group visited a number of new and popular options for nuptials, including: Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Caesars Palace Dubai, Armani Hotel Dubai, St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Dubai, Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk & Raffles Dubai and Palazzo Versace Dubai. DBE also took attendees to new heights, giving them a VIP experience at The View at The Palm and an exclusive preview of Ain Dubai, ahead of its official opening on 21 October.
A Leadership Forum hosted at Madinat Jumeirah on the first full day of the itinerary saw the group hear from venues and service providers, including: Rasha Badran, Founder & Managing Director, The Purple Chair; Arun Bablani, Director, Vivaah Weddings; Soufiane El Alam, Complex Commercial Director, Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, V Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, Habtoor Palace Dubai, LXR Hotels & Resorts; and Andy Cuthbert General Manager, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and Madinat Jumeirah Conference & Events, Jumeirah Hospitality.
Steen Jakobsen, Assistant Vice President, Dubai Business Events, said: “Dubai’s status as a premier wedding destination has only been possible thanks to the efforts of stakeholders across the tourism and events sectors, providing the bedrock for exceptional experiences for couples and guests alike. I would like to thank all the partners who helped to make latest edition of the Global Wedding Excellence Retreat a success. Having continued to engage with wedding planners throughout the global pandemic, we are once again seeing significant interest as their clients look to celebrate safely without having to compromise on venues, entertainment, food and other aspects of their special days.”
One of the guests on the visit, Manika Garg, Director, E-Factor Entertainment, said: “It’s been a pleasure to be a part of the Dubai Global Wedding Excellence Retreat, during which we’ve seen some great properties, possibilities and opportunities. The conference accorded great insights from industry insiders on how the new normal has evolved and been adapted to. The warm hospitality of the Dubai Business Events team has been the very base to make this all come together, and I’d especially like to mention the amazing F&B experiences that have given a detailed insight into the flavours awaiting our guests, and instilled confidence, yet again, that Dubai never ceases to amaze!”
