Dubai’s attractions have put in place a range of precautionary measures to give UAE residents and visitors the continued confidence to enjoy a diverse range of experiences within a safe environment.
Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is working closely with relevant government entities and industry stakeholders to ensure all safety measures at places of interest across the city including popular attractions, are being effectively implemented.
Comprehensive steps including specialised staff training programmes have been adopted by a range of attractions to protect their guests, in addition to the stringent hygiene measures established across all customer-facing touchpoints of the visitor interaction. With the health and safety of residents and tourists being the utmost priority, the guidelines are constantly being reviewed and updated by the public health authorities.
Dubai has introduced the ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp, a compliance programme to ensure that all establishments within the tourism ecosystem have implemented the health and safety protocols. The stamp, which is re-issued every two weeks upon further verification by inspectors from relevant government entities, serves as a visual identity to reassure guests that all stringent safety and hygiene measures prescribed by the authorities have been adhered to. Leading shopping malls, souks, family entertainment centres, attractions and event venues have been inspected and certified with the ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ safety seal.
Dubai’s successful citywide management of the pandemic led to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) awarding the city the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp, instilling further confidence in global travellers and encouraging them to select Dubai as their destination of choice.
In addition to visitors being required to wear face masks and practice social distancing, a range of new precautionary measures have been adopted by Dubai’s attractions and experiential operators. The below highlights a number of procedures that have been implemented, but is not exhaustive of the comprehensive measures deployed by attractions across the city:
- Leading retail outlets and entertainment venues such as The Dubai Mall and The Mall of Emirates, where visitors can discover a wide range of the world’s best brands and designer boutiques, are operating at 70% capacity until 28 February.
- Global Village, a family destination bringing cultures from around the world together. The various country pavilions and 200 restaurants and cafes, some of the main draws of Global Village, remain open, offering the largest street food selection of its kind in the region. However, Global Village has temporarily suspended all shows including firework displays and street entertainment.
- Burj Khalifa, the global landmark has implemented a new hygienic system including pre-purchase of tickets online, contactless payments, staff/guest temperature checks and rigorous sanitization routines implemented at all touchpoints.
- Hero Experiences Group, which operates the popular Platinum Heritage and Balloon Adventures to offer authentic desert adventures for guests, has hired a dedicated Hygiene Manager to ensure that all of the Covid-19 protocols are upheld, and extensive on-going training will take place for in-house Covid-19 safety officers.
- IMG Worlds of Adventure, the world’s largest indoor theme and amusement park, has intensified its protocols with daily extensive deep cleaning and sanitising procedures. A limited number of guests are allowed inside the retail stores and dining areas, and thermal cameras have been installed at the entrances of the park for guests and staff to check all arriving visitors for maximum protection against infection.
- Dubai Aquarium, which showcases more than 300 species of marine animals and offers speciality dives, shark trainer encounters and snorkeling, is also implementing stringent precautionary guidelines including online ticket purchase, temperature checks upon arrival and rigorous sanitization routines at all touchpoints.
- LEGOLAND® Dubai, the ultimate theme park for families with 60 interactive rides and an exhilarating water park, is bolstering its health and safety restrictions with the LEGO® building experiences and soft play areas closed to limit close contact for children.
- Laguna Waterpark, the all-inclusive seaside paradise with rides, surfing experiences, dining and shopping, is operating at a reduced capacity with hourly disinfection, daily deep cleans, in addition to providing Covid-19 awareness training for staff and PPE on site.
- Atlantis,The Palm, is open with its pools, restaurants and beaches operating at a limited capacity. Families are permitted to sit together as well as groups of up to five guests. To encourage confidence for bookings during these challenging times, the resort is offering a temporary 24-hours cancellation policy and in-resort Covid-19 testing for guests.