New GNTO Director for Gulf Countries

German National Tourist Office Dubai appoints Sigrid de Mazieres as new Director for Gulf Countries

The German National Tourist Office (GNTO) in Dubai, the local affiliate of the German National Tourism Board, has appointed Sigrid de Mazieres as its new Director for the Gulf countries.

In her role, Sigrid de Mazieres will be responsible for guiding the sales & marketing strategy, in order to promote ‘Destination Germany’ throughout the GCC region and to boost arrival numbers with the support of local as well as overseas trade partners and industry stakeholders.

“Germany has been one of the preferred European destinations for GCC travelers since a long time, mainly for its great variety, ranging from rich cultural offerings, natural landscapes, luxurious shopping facilities and convenient infrastructure to high-quality medical service”, said de Mazieres.

She continued, “I am very excited to take on the new role and to continue to enhance Germany’s positive brand image as a year-round travel destination. My aim will be to re-shape the GNTO’s communications strategies by launching new compelling campaigns, which appeal to our existing loyal travel audience and at the same time engage new emerging market segments such as millennial Arab travellers through experiential and influencer marketing activities.”

Sigrid de Mazieres brings with her more than 15 years of experience in marketing & communications and extensive industry knowledge accumulated from her previous management roles with leading companies such as Qatar Airways and the airline’s private jet division Qatar Executive in Doha. She holds an MSc in Media & Communications from the London School of Economics in the UK.

The GCC is one of the top 20 source markets for Germany and the third largest non-European source market, after China and USA. In 2016 Germany ranked on top position among GCC travelers, even before UK, Turkey, and France.

Germany’s attractiveness as a destination of choice for tourists worldwide is further exemplified by visitor numbers recorded during the first ten months of 2017. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 72.4 million international overnight stays in accommodation establishments with at least ten beds were recorded.

For the seventh consecutive year, the number of visitors to Germany in 2016 reached record levels, with more than 80 million overnight stays by international visitors being registered for the first time.