Workshop familiarizes five and four star hotels with the current eServices and future plans.  

The workshop, held at the Shangri La Hotel in Dubai on March 21 was attended by 80 representatives from five and four star hotels in the emirate.    

In her keynote address, Sheikha Roudha highlighted the importance and benefits of eServices in different economic domains, especially tourism. She said eServices offered to the public goes hand in hand with the sweeping developments taking place in the emirate and around the world.  

Ms. Aisha Butti bin Bishr, DTCM Acting Manager Information Technology, said the first-ever workshop on DTCM e-Services for the tourism industry was conducted is in line with the objectives of the Dubai eGovernment of offering more eServices to the public.  

The DTCM website was launched in 1996 and the portal's visibility has been enhanced through a link on the Dubai e-Government portal. The hugely-popular website has been attracting 50,000 page views per day and is available in six languages – English, Arabic, German, French, Spanish and Japanese. Among the most-downloadable items by the website visitors are Dubai map, Press releases, business and tourism promotion videos, and photographs. Web camera and hotel directory are equally popular with the surfers. Statistics about Dubai has been placed online by the DTCM's One Stop Information Centre (OSIC).  

Mr. Shafeeq Hamza, DTCM Executive Information Technology, said two latest and popular eServices offered through the website - Dubai Weekly eNewsletter and Dubai Map. The weekly newsletter, whose subscription base has crossed the 5000 mark, offers latest news and developments about Dubai. Done by DTCM Media Relations Division, It has an automated subscription management system and one year archives.    

The Dubai Map has been found an ideal instrument for tourists and visitors. All the hotels, hotel apartments and tourism companies are already listed. The map is searchable and printable  The officials also offered insights into the working of Imtiaz scheme which allows tourism industry players and other organisations to provide marketing access to DTCM's 400 plus staff members. Another important service is SMART suggestion scheme which has been opened recently to public to seek their suggestions. It offers an online system to track suggestion status.  

About the future plans, the DTCM officials said the Hotel Statistics System will allow online submission of guest information. Future template-based automation was under study.  The Overseas Exhibition Participants Registration System will provide enhanced online registration system for overseas exhibition co- participants. It will incorporate multiple log on and notification system.