TravelPulse Canada visited Dubai with a representative from the Dubai Tourism Board and a group of journalists from Canada and the United States for a press trip under the theme of: culture, outdoors and sustainable tourism.
It was on an Emirates airline flight that we left Montreal on October 24 at 10:30 local time to arrive… the next day at 6:30. The journalists had the chance to fly in Business class, courtesy of Emirates who wanted to let them discover their VIP service, which includes limousine transport to the airport, access to the Star Alliance lounge, priority boarding and premium in-flight service.
Emirates has been offering a direct flight from Montreal to Dubai since the expansion of the air agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Canada in the summer of 2023.
Emirates Business Class
The Business Class configuration on the Boeing 777-300ER flying from Montreal to Dubai is 2/2/2 and the service includes an exclusive Bulgari first-needs kit, pajamas, eye mask, slippers, blanket and pillow, Bowers headphones, over 650 movies and radio shows on its personalized screen, a seat that lays flat to become a bed and unlimited food and drink service. High class! We were able to order champagne, eat a poke bowl, relax in our bed/seat, watch three movies, work thanks to the in-flight Wi-Fi and enjoy unparalleled service. Three meals are offered during the 12-hour flight, according to the schedule; in our case it was breakfast-dinner-lunch. This is definitely the height of luxury and of course, it makes this long flight more enjoyable. Impeccable comfort and service!
ReachGlobal represents Visit Dubai in Canada, and so for this press trip, we are accompanied by Kirk D’Sousa from Reach Global/Visit Dubai, in addition to three journalists from Montreal (including us), one from Toronto and one from New York. This is not the first time that the Dubai tourism board has organized a press trip, especially since Emirates launched a new direct connection in 2023 from YUL, but the theme this time is: culture, outdoors, sustainable tourism.
“We wanted to show journalists a different version of Dubai,” Kirk D’Sousa explained. “For a few years now, Dubai has been talked about as the city of bling and we see the same images of the same attractions over and over again. So, with this itinerary, we wanted to get off the beaten track and show lesser-known attractions, sides of Dubai that are less well-known.”
Hatta Dam photo credit: Catherine Maisonneuve
Thus the itinerary included a full day in Hatta , a peripheral region still under development where there is a historic village, a fresh water reservoir where you can practice kayaking and a recreational center for practicing many sports and activities, in addition to abundant mountains for hiking. Hatta Heritage Village offers a chance to reconnect with the traditions of the past. Here you can buy handicrafts and visit the reconstruction of a traditional village.
The rest of the journey will take place in Dubai itself and in the desert, as we will spend a night in the desert and discover the Old Dubai as well as iconic buildings. Stay tuned!
