Tag: Dubai Mall

  • Fly Emirates to Dubai and receive complimentary access to two popular tours and attractions

    Fly Emirates to Dubai and receive complimentary access to two popular tours and attractions

    Emirates is giving travellers even more reasons to visit Dubai this winter, with a special offer that combines world-class hospitality and unique experiences. Customers who book return flights to Dubai by 21st December 2025, will enjoy complimentary access to two popular tours and attractions. 

    Travellers can take in the Dubai skyline on a gorgeous 90-minute sunset dinner cruise along Dubai Marina, and fully immerse themselves in a cutting-edge multi-sensory art experience at the Art Museum Dubai.

    This limited offer is valid for bookings between the 8th and the 21st December for travel between 7th January to 18th March 2026. 

    Xclusive Yachts sunset cruise 

    Step aboard the Xclusive Yachts sunset cruise on their 125ft glass houseboat and enjoy stunning views of the Dubai Marina. This incredible experience is complemented with an indulgent international buffet dinner and the soothing sounds of an onboard musician as the sun sets over the city.

    Arte Museum Dubai 

    Arte Museum Dubai fuses digital artistry with sensory storytelling. Immersive installations and stunning visual landscapes are enhanced by original soundscapes and custom fragrances, creating a truly multi-sensory experience.

    Get more from your travel with Emirates

    Alongside this fantastic offer, Emirates continues to provide its customers with more opportunities to make the most out of their time in Dubai, including:

    My Emirates Pass – While a trip to Dubai is a great idea at any time of year, winter in the city offers an array of surprises, from outdoor festivals to the biggest sales of the season. With the My Emirates Pass, customers have access to over 700 exclusive offers across the city. 

    Skywards Partners – Members of the award-winning loyalty programme, Emirates Skywards can earn Miles with worldwide partners like hotels, airlines, car rentals, retail and banking. Members can spend these Miles on reward tickets, upgrades, or even tickets for concerts and sports events. Learn more about Emirates Skywards here:

     https://www.emirates.com/english/skywards/. While in Dubai, you can earn Miles with partners across the city like Dubai Duty Free, purchases using the Skywards Everyday App, Dubai Mall, Arabian Adventures, Emirates Holidays and more. Skywards members also get free Wi-Fi onboard.

    Emirates currently operates 7 flights weekly from Dubai to Lagos. For more information, visit emirates.com

    Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, Emirates Sales Office, Emirates Retail outlets, The Emirates App, via travel agents or through online travel agents.

  • Feature: Lessons for Nigerian tourism from the Queen’s Funeral funfair

    Feature: Lessons for Nigerian tourism from the Queen’s Funeral funfair

    By Ayo Akinfe

    I hope Nigeria’s tourism minister is looking at how the British are packaging this whole royal affair into one huge tourist package that will generate revenue for the treasury

    [1] Anyone who follows the economics of the British monarchy will know that they use it as a money spinner to woo tourists and sell memorabilia

    [2] They open up their palaces to fee-paying tourists, lease out estates and sell the use of the royal crests to big businesses

    [3] Like Nigeria, Dubai started out as wholly dependent on oil but today, less than 5% of the emirate’s revenue comes from oil. Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade stood at $362bn as far back as 2014. In Dubai, the government’s decision to diversify from a trade-based, oil-reliant economy to one that is service and tourism-oriented made property more valuable

    [4] Like the UK, everyone else is getting the message. Do you know that Dubai city hosted 14.9m, overnight visitors, in 2016, and this is expected to reach 20m by 2020? Dubai has been called the shopping capital of the Middle East as it has more than 70 shopping centres, including the world’s largest shopping centre, the Dubai Mall

    [5] Over the last 15 years, Dubai has invested massively in infrastructure like rail metros, roads, security, hotels beaches, holiday resorts, conference centres, etc. The only place in Nigeria that can compare with it in any way shape or form with regards to upgrading its infrastructure over the last 15 years is Akwa Ibom State but hey, more has been spent in Akwa Ibom than in Dubai. One is a global tourist economy and the other is still struggling

    [6] Now, we have to live in the world as it is and not as we would want the world to be, so it is not realistic to expect the whole of Nigeria to become Dubai overnight. However, we can adapt the Tasmania model of developing an island tourist paradise, which could easily bring in a sum identical to the $50bn or so we are getting from crude oil sales annually

    [7] Australia has sought to develop Tasmania as a tourist paradise, away from the mainland. We will not, however, copy their example of depopulating it of local people because that is tantamount to genocide. After hostilities between settlers and Aboriginals ceased in 1832, almost all of the remnants of the indigenous population were persuaded or forced by government agent George Robinson to move to Flinders Island. Many quickly succumbed to infectious diseases to which they had no immunity, reducing the population further. Of those removed from Tasmania, the last to die was Truganini, in 1876

    [8] What we can do is build an artificial island off the coast somewhere and turn it into a dedicated tourist destination. Off the coast of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Lagos states, we have the potential to create an island where security, power, water, transport, hotels, etc can sustain a world class tourist industry. Such ventures should be easy to attract capital for as they pay for themselves within five to 10 years

    [9] If you ask me, it is highly irresponsible of Nigerian leaders to go on these jamborees to Dubai while our own tourist industry languishes in ruins. Dubai is a great destination because of its lovely weather, similar to that of Nigeria. There is absolutely no reason why many of those weddings, parties, birthdays, AGMs etc they hold cannot take place at say Tinapa in Calabar, the Obudu Cattle Ranch, the Uyo Ibom Le Meridien Golf Resort, the Apex Holiday resort in Abuja or the La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort in Lekki, Lagos. Do you know that Muammar Gaddafi lived in an armoured tent until he had provided a home for every Libyan?

    [10] I am surprised that Nigerian tourist officials have not flown to London to ask how Britain is funding this funeral and how it intends to exploit the tourist potential going forward

  • Explore Dubai Special Offers during this Festive Season

    Explore Dubai Special Offers during this Festive Season

    Emirates is making travels to Dubai more attractive with a complimentary stay at the JW Marriot Marquis, Dubai, one of the world’s tallest 5-star hotels. The skyscraper hotel features award-winning dining options, its own shopping galleria and a world-renowned spa; and is conveniently located near attractions like the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Opera.

    Customers who book return Economy tickets to Dubai from 2nd to 23rd December for travel from 6th December 2020 to 28th February 2021 will be eligible for a complimentary one night stay at the JW Marriot Marquis on their first night in Dubai, while travellers booked in First and Business Class will receive two complimentary nights’ stay from the day of arrival.

    To enjoy the new Dubai global offer, the travel fare for Nigerian customers from Lagos to Dubai on Economy class will be starting from N331, 530, while Business class will be starting from N1, 337,685.

    The airline will also provide generous baggage allowance; hence passengers returning to Emirates destinations in Africa, including Nigeria, can go home with one extra piece of luggage.

    Fly better on Emirates and enjoy over 4,500 channels of entertainment on ice – the airline’s award-winning inflight entertainment system, as well as regionally inspired meals and complimentary beverages.

    Emirates customers can travel with peace of mind with the airline’s flexible booking options and newly introduced multi-risk travel insurance including COVID-19 cover with every flight. Emirates has also implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees.

    Emirates has been rated the safest airline in the world in its response to the COVID-19 Pandemic according to the Safe Travel Barometer. It has the highest ‘Safe Travel Score’ among 230+ airlines evaluated worldwide. The score is based on an independent audit of 26 health and safety parameters evaluating safety protocols, traveller convenience and service excellence announced by airlines.

    Dubai is open and ready to welcome tourists with the highest levels of safety protocols in place to keep its residents and visitors safe. The vibrant, cosmopolitan city has an eclectic mix of offerings including impressive beaches, world-class shopping, and fine dining restaurants.

    What does a holiday in Dubai look like?
    As a safety precaution, all passengers arriving in Dubai must take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test up to four days prior to their date of travel (maximum 96 hours). You may be required to take another test at Dubai Airports upon arrival. Children under the age of 12 and
    passengers with a severe or moderate disability are exempt from the PCR test. More information here

    Masks and social distancing
    In Dubai, it is mandatory to wear a mask in public places at all times including on Emirates flights, however children below the age of six who struggle with wearing masks are exempted from wearing them.  You can remove your mask when you are seated at a restaurant or café. Social distancing is also practised throughout the city and at all venues including on public transport.

    Hotels, malls and indoor venues
    Hotels in Dubai including the JW Marriot Marquis use contactless check in and rooms are sanitised for safety. All indoor venues including malls enforce mandatory temperature checks at the entrance and employ digital
    safety guidelines including contactless menus at restaurants.

    Outdoor activities
    Dubai is a haven for thrill seekers and all outdoor and sports activities are operating with safety restrictions and protocols. This includes helicopter rides, hot air balloons, desert safari, desert camping, dhow cruises, kayaking and more. All sports activities that can be practised individually or with 5 people or less have resumed. This
    includes sky diving and renting of jet skis, boats and bicycles.

    Dubai’s beaches are open and safe with social distancing. Global Village has also opened on 25 October 2020 for its 25th season, with strict precautionary measures in place.For more information visit:
    https://www.visitdubai.com/en/coronavirus-advisory

    Flexibility and assurance: Emirates’ booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket for travel on or before 31 March 2021, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options, if they have to change their travel plans. Customers have options to change their travel dates or extend their ticket validity for 2 years. More information here.

    Free, global cover for COVID-19 related costs: Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19
    during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until 31 December 2020, and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit
    from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination. For more
    details: www.emirates.com/COVID19assistance.

    Health and safety: Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the
    distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more
    information on these measures and the services available on each flight,
    visit: www.emirates.com/yoursafety.