Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has announced the soft launch of its new hotel classification checklists for all categories.

Majid Al Marri, DTCM director of classification, said: “Dubai has experienced phenomenal growth in tourism product supply and visitors volume in its journey to become a leading global destination. The resulting increase in visitors’ awareness and visitation has driven unprecedented development of Dubai’s accommodation portfolio.”

The checklists and classification scheme aims to increase the emirate’s guest accommodation portfolio and encourage diversity in line with the international standards and the expectations of its current and future visitors, he said.

The initiative has been jointly developed by the DTCM and the industry through committees, workshops and benchmarking exercises.
It is designed to be sustainable, thereby promoting longevity and has a long-term framework which will last into the future.

The new scheme embraces and encourages developments in the industry in order to meet strategic targets, expandable in line with market developments and sets a high standard for the destination, yet is achievable. 

What is New?
* Introduction of new categories of accommodation and grading levels to broaden the guest accommodation offering in the emirate, ensuring that each budget is catered to.
* Automation of new grading process to ensure that quality standards are consistently delivered, and fairly assessed.
* Overnight assessments for higher gradings to evaluate service delivery.
* Self-assessment processes so that establishments may fully understand their compliance in advance of the official classification assessment, and take any required action.
* Designator programme to highlight guest accommodation specialities, and facilitate targeted marketing.
* Accolade programme to recognise and reward those hotels and resorts which consistently exceed expectations.
* New Customer Care Centre, including an advisory team to offer advice during all stages of the process, from new establishments to long existing establishments who may be undergoing refurbishments etc.
*  Classification software with an online portal for industry members, media and investors, with a range on e-services.

During the Arabian Travel Marketing (ATM) week, DTCM will be providing draft copies of the new industry manual and criteria checklists as well as conducting presentations highlighting the new classification scheme.

Additionally, DTCM will be accepting pre-registration applications for accessing the new classification software once it goes live.

ATM, which opened today, runs till May 3.  The DTCM/Dubai Stand (Number 1110) is in Hall 3 of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.   – TradeArabia News Service