COP28: ‘Dubai Way’ course upgrades to support Dubai’s sustainability drive

The Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST), both part of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) have upgraded their much-sought after ‘Dubai Sustainable Tourism’ course that is available on DCT’s innovative learning platform, Dubai Way.

The enhanced course on sustainability is launched, as the UAE prepares to host the COP28 (Conference of the Parties) Climate Change Conference, at Expo City Dubai in 2023, which will further address climate change to create a more sustainable and progressive economic future.

With a range of new modules including educational segments focused on water and energy saving, how to implement a Green Team and effective procurement, the DCT course will empower participants with the knowledge on how to abide by and operate with sustainable principles across the travel and hospitality sectors.

Dubai Way is a world-class training platform offering a broad range of educational and awareness programmes for people employed in tourist-facing roles across the tourism ecosystem. Supporting those who interact with visitors on a day-to-day basis, Dubai Way offers specialist training focused on history, culture and heritage and customer service, all of which are critical to delivering exceptional experiences for visitors to Dubai.

Since the launch of the sustainability course in 2019, it has contributed significantly towards boosting the city’s sustainability credentials, within the wider DST initiative to position Dubai as tourism destination focused on and implementing sustainable practices. For example, a number of hotels have developed water bottling plants, installed solar panels and implemented water saving initiatives. In recent years, the tourism sector has also witnessed a proliferation of on-site farms, generating locally sourced greens as well as hotels supporting local suppliers of fresh produce, poultry, seafood and dairy products, aligned with UAE’s food security initiatives.

In addition to new content, the enhanced DCT course also features best practice case studies from hospitality and tourism leaders including; Atlantis The Palm, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Armani Hotel Dubai, Hilton Garden Inn Mall of the Emirates and JA Resort Jebel Ali, as well as information on the pioneering sustainability initiative Dubai Can launched in February 2022 by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council. The module focuses on educating tourism professionals and future sector leaders about the Dubai Can initiative and the significant success it has witnessed since its launch, with the introduction of around 50 water filters in popular tourism destinations such as Kite Beach, Dubai Marina, JLT, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Harbour, Madinat Jumeirah and more.

More than 2,000 students have graduated from the sustainability course since its launch, highlighting the necessity and effectiveness of this programme, with hundreds more students set to graduate in 2023.

Essa Bin Hader, General Manager at Dubai College of Tourism, said,

“The world-class training programmes developed by Dubai College of Tourism are designed to empower our tourism workforce with in-depth knowledge that is so critical to ensuring that Dubai remains the preferred destination of tourists, as we continually strive to realise the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the most visited city in the world and a global liveability hub.

He continued,

“The highly popular Sustainable Tourism course also supports Dubai’s mission to become a leading sustainable destination in line with the UAE’s Net Zero 2050 initiative. As we count down to the UAE’s hosting of COP28 at Expo City in 2023, we expect staff at the numerous establishments across the tourism ecosystem to be aligned and aware of all the requirements, and their roles and responsibilities in achieving the UAE’s sustainability goals. The new courses that are being introduced by the college will further highlight the important role played by the Dubai Way platform to ensure that all those engaged within the tourism industry are gaining an understanding of how important is sustainability to the industry and how they can play a key part in achieving a greener future.”

The Dubai Way platform provides the opportunity for all those engaged in the tourism industry to enhance their knowledge and skills, whilst also contributing to Dubai’s sustainable growth. By better understanding the tourism industry, Dubai’s unique selling points and the key pillars of the Dubai brand, tourism industry employees will be able to interact seamlessly with both visitors and residents from all cultures and nationalities, addressing queries and questions, and ultimately helping to leave a lasting impression of Dubai on visitors. Both the courses and the Dubai Way platform provide gifted young individuals the grounding they need to join the tourism workforce, and eventually contribute towards further enhancing the visitor experience.

Whilst Dubai is already globally associated with exceptional service and tourism offerings, the city continues to look to enhance its reputation and provide guests with even more extraordinary experiences. The range of courses available at DCT are focused on enhancing the knowledge and skills of Dubai-based talent and providing guests with unforgettable memories of the city. The courses span across various tourism trends and themes, encouraging prospective students to work together to promote Dubai to the world as a must-visit destination.

News Source: Emirates News Agency