AIRTH Encyclopedia of Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality

Introduction

Ski Dubai is the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East. It was opened in 2005, and it is known for its family-friendly character. Although not the oldest indoor skiing experience in the world, Ski Dubai has accomplished many “firsts” that have set it apart from the others, including its creation of the Ski Dubai Snow Park. Of Ski Dubai’s five slopes of varying difficulty, one is a black run, the first indoor slope of its kind. The facility also houses the first indoor zipline at sub-zero temperatures and incorporates additional recreational offerings, including bobsleds, a tubing run, snow bumpers, a climbing wall, a snow plough playground, an ice cave, a zorbing option, and a Gentoo and King penguin colony with which guest can interact, depending on their package of choice. This diversification of options is unprecedented in the indoor ski world and has earned Ski Dubai a spot as one of the United Arab Emirates’ top visitor attractions.

Description of the destination or original product

The facility includes slopes as well as the Ski Dubai Snow Park, a 4,500-meter square complex that provides activities for people of all ages. Visitors have the opportunity to choose from packages that include selected activities within the snow park (or even a package that combines the snow park with an iFly Dubai indoor skydiving experience). The park provides jackets and trousers, snow boots, a disposable pair of socks, helmets, fleece gloves, a standard locker and ski/snowboarding clothing (for those who select the Discovery Lesson option). Ski Dubai hosts an in-house ski school as well as Snow Pro, a retail outlet where visitors can purchase the newest equipment on the market. Ski Dubai is home to an 85-meter-high indoor mountain, and its longest ski run has a length of 400 meters. The facility is located in the Mall of the Emirates, which is one of the leading shopping centers in the Middle East as well as Europe.

Process that led to and facilitated change

According to Ski Dubai CEO Phil Taylor, one of the driving factors that led to the creation of the first indoor ski resort in the Middle East is that many people who live in the United Arab Emirates have never experienced snow before. As a destination that attracts tourists with innovations and architectural feats, such as the Burj Khalifa and Palm Islands, Ski Dubai aptly fits the destination profile.

Ski Dubai was developed by the Majid Al Futtaim Group, which strives to innovate and enhance experiences in the field of leisure and entertainment. Thinkwell Design and Production was responsible for the development of the Snow Park portion of Ski Dubai. Having accomplished a vision never before realized, the organization has become the world’s leading expert in the field of indoor interactive snow play.

Implementation and success story

Ski Dubai has been named the world’s best indoor ski resort for 2016-2017 by the World Ski Awards, and it continues to be highly regarded in the indoor ski industry. Although a ski resort in the middle of the desert, Ski Dubai has worked toward creating a destination with a high level of sustainability. The facility needs to maintain a sub-freezing temperature, which is made possible by Ski Dubai’s efficient design; acting as a giant refrigerator, it consumes as little energy as a hotel of average size. With the implementation of intelligent technology, including voltage stabilizers, overall energy consumption is reduced. Additionally, all old and used snow is recycled and re-purposed to assist the air conditioning system in keeping the facility cold. To make the environment as healthy as possible, the snow and penguin filtration systems contain no chemicals whatsoever. Lastly, all of the over one million socks handed out annually to guest are donated to those in need through Oxfam International.

Company info

Ski Dubai

Sheikh Zayed Rd

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Website: https://www.skidxb.com

Phone: +971 800 386

References

https://www.skidxb.com/

https://thinkwellgroup.com/2016/12/15/ski-dubai-named-the-worlds-best-indoor-ski-resort/

https://www.malloftheemirates.com

https://web.archive.org/web/20120511112427/http://www.teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/9_2007_skidubai.

Hotel for children

Encyclopedia

Innovation in Tourism and Hospitality

The Land of Legends, Kingdom Hotel

Gül Beril Kımıllı, AIRTH intern

Introduction

The Land of Legends, the biggest leisure and entertainment park, and the first theme hotel designed for children in Turkey opened in Belek, Antalya, in July 2016. Mr. Çetin Pehlivan, the hotel manager is describing the hotel as ‘The Kingdom Hotel inspires adults to release the children who are inside them and for children to hold on to their childhood magic.’

Description of the destination or original product

The Land of Legends is not just a hotel or an amusement park. It’s like an experimental example of a new generation of entertainment offering… There are many diverse sections in it, such as water parks, theme parks, shopping units, a replica of Venice’s canals, rivers where boats in the form of musical instruments will float. The facility employs more than 700 employees, offering various adrenaline entertainment options such as a 5D cinema, crazy river, wave pool, sleigh water slide. The hotel part consists of 410 rooms. Kingdom Hotel offers a unique experience with its fantasy-fuelled decoration, 401 fairy-tale rooms designed for children. The Land of Legends Kingdom Hotel allows everyone to feel like a child again. Rooms are kitted out with child-friendly features such as 3D TVs, games, and cartoon wall art. The rooms combine modern elements in their unique cartoon design and promise a comfortable experience for families with children. Children can also enjoy 100% wool carpet with its projector and wall screen to play the Playstation 4. Moreover, to facilitate reaching the target segment of families, all children under the age of 12 are accommodated free of charge.

The hotel is designed by Franco Dragone Productions, the genius of the entertainment world known for being the mind behind the success of Cirque du Soleil, the world’s most famous circus. Dragone has introduced a concept that combines impressive architecture with never-ending entertainment options and this concept is the first of its kind in Turkey

The process that led to the recognition that change was necessary

Although local people say “Antalya, is now full of the hotels”, what people needed was something different. There is no doubt that the sector needed innovation. As long as entrepreneurs can combine the leisurely nature of the region with projects that are interesting, it will be possible to attract the attention of both domestic and foreign tourists. Antalya needed and still needs such innovative initiatives to revive the industry.

Cem Tuna, who oversees both the aqua and dry parks, brings a wealth of theme park experience to The Land of Legends. Cem Tuna came to Turkey in 2013 to open Vialand Park in Istanbul and operated it for five years before leaving to start Land of Legends. Before that, he matured his experience for 25 years in Australia, at Dreamworld theme park, and Voyages Resort Hotel. Tuna says: “Land of Legends is a location and a vision. It is very special.” The idea behind the imaginatively themed park, is that a meteor fell to earth, spawning a variety of worlds, each rooted in a different legend. The Dragone Gate, dividing the Kingdom Hotel – Turkey’s first hotel specially designed for children – from the park, is a portal to those worlds. Today, The Land of Legends, Kingdom Hotel combines a five-star hotel, waterpark, and theme park within one location.

Implementation

First of all, in 2016, the plan was initially to achieve 60% occupancy mark of the surrounding hotels in the first year, and then to expand the business further. The management of the Land of Legends knew that it will take work, and marketing to make this place a destination park all year round. Moreover, although the city of Antalya has much to offer, tourism is still very seasonal and almost stops for five months over the winter.

Success/failure story

Nowadays, the majority of the Land of Legends’ visitors are Russian, the rest made up of European tourists. In 2016, Cem Tuna said: “Phase 1 is aqua, phase 2 is the dry theme park, and then we have a phase 3; which will be an extension of the dry park. Then, in 2021, we will have phase 4. The dry park is going to be humongous. That’s the plan.”

Today, in 2020, they implemented until phase 3 as they planned. The Land of Legends has an aquapark, theme park, and an extension of the dry park. Each year, it keeps attracting more tourists from all over the world with its new features. The Land of Legend’s current vision is to make a facility like the one of Disney World in Orlando so that it could attract people all year round; enjoying the dry park and the hotels in the wintertime as well.