ALREHLA | Names Shaping Tourism Issam Kazim: The Executive Leading Dubai’s Tourism Marketing Across More Than 40 International Markets

From Dubai World Trade Centre to managing a global tourism promotion network, Kazim has helped shape Dubai’s international presence, as the emirate recorded 19.59 million visitors in 2025 before facing new challenges amid declining travel demand in 2026.

Since taking the helm of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) in February 2014, Issam Kazim has emerged as one of the key executives responsible for strengthening Dubai’s international profile as a destination for tourism, business and major events.

Kazim serves as Chief Executive Officer of the corporation, which operates under the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). The organisation is responsible for promoting Dubai internationally, managing marketing campaigns and developing relationships with travel companies, airlines, media organisations and commercial partners.

Before moving into the tourism sector, Kazim worked at Dubai World Trade Centre, where he held responsibilities in event management and commercial operations.

His appointment to the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing marked a transition into the broader field of destination marketing, with a focus on managing Dubai’s image across international markets.

According to his published professional biography, he helped build a team of more than 200 employees and a network of over 40 international offices, while developing marketing campaigns and media and commercial partnerships targeting different markets.

Dubai welcomed approximately 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, representing a 5% increase compared with 2024, according to figures released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism on February 9, 2026.

By the end of 2025, the emirate’s hotel inventory had reached 154,264 rooms across 827 establishments, while the average annual hotel occupancy rate stood at 80.7%.

Marketing activities during the year included international campaigns and partnerships with organisations such as Marriott, Visa, Hyatt and Amadeus, as part of a broader tourism ecosystem involving government authorities, airlines, hotels and private-sector businesses.

Visitor growth cannot be attributed to marketing campaigns alone. Nevertheless, it remains one of the indicators used to assess the performance of the tourism ecosystem in which the corporation operates.

Dubai faced more challenging conditions during 2026, affecting regional and international travel flows.

The latest figures published by early November showed that the emirate received 6.97 million international visitors during the first eight months of 2026, compared with approximately 12.54 million during the corresponding period in 2025.

In August alone, Dubai welcomed around 869,000 visitors, while hotel occupancy reached 66%, following a decline to 36% in March.

These figures illustrate how the challenge has shifted beyond expanding marketing reach to restoring demand and strengthening confidence among travellers and commercial partners amid changing market conditions.

Kazim’s approach combines media campaigns with cooperation involving tour operators, airlines, hotels and digital platforms.

During 2026, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism continued developing campaigns targeting international markets, including the A Dubai Invite initiative, which enabled residents to help promote the city and encourage friends and family members to visit.

However, assessing the success of this model requires looking beyond visitor numbers alone.

Tourism revenues, hotel occupancy, revenue per available room and a destination’s ability to sustain demand during periods of disruption are equally important measures of long-term performance.