Animal encounters and wildlife conservation is top of mind for tourists to the UAE, if Dubai Safari Park’s recent season is anything to go by. 

Ahmad AlKhoori, Head of Specialized Parks and Recreational Facilities, Dubai Municipality, told Rihlat Travel News that the attraction’s latest season has been the best yet, with a 67% increase in travel trade sales alone! 

 “[It’s] reflecting the stronger appetite and demand for sustainable tourism and that is very promising and exciting,” AlKhoori said. 

Not resting on their laurels, attracting residents and tourists will be a larger focus for the Park, and working closely with Travel Agents is part of that commitment. 

“Travel agents and tour operators are important partners and contribute significantly to our business particularly as the main touchpoint with many of our customers, so it is really important for us to equip them with the necessary resources and tools, marketing materials and pricing schemes, to help ensure a smooth and effective sales process and offer the best we can to our future visitors,” he added.

Read on for our full chat with AlKhoori: 

Following a successful sixth season, what are the key objectives for the next season, and how do you plan to build on the success of the current season?

We’re truly proud to say that Season Six was indeed great success – our best yet. And we’re not stopping there. We’re excited to raise the bar even higher for Season Seven and continue building on this momentum.

While we can’t reveal everything just yet, I can say that we aim to continue to be the ultimate destination for wildlife education, entertainment, and conservation, at the heart of Dubai.  

For Season Seven, which is set to launch on October 14, 2025, we’re introducing a fresh theme, new experiences, and exciting animal encounters. We are also working on expanding our reach in international markets and the GCC.

We will continue to focus on our conservation efforts, which is at the core of everything we do. We’ve recently revealed that a portion of every ticket we’ve sold to date, went to support animal conservation. This means that every visitor contributes to wildlife rescue, care, and research. This will continue in the coming season. 

Dubai Safari Park will continue to elevate its standards with world-class facilities, including an on-site veterinary hospital, an animal care and research centre, and a dedicated endangered species breeding program.

There is so much more to come, so stay on the lookout! 

How do you see the safari’s role evolving in promoting sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation in the region?

As an animal lover myself, I’m thrilled to see that there is a growing demand for responsible, experience-led tourism in the UAE, and I believe that Dubai Safari Park playing a role in this movement.

Our theme for the ongoing season is “conservation of the planet”, and we’ve launched a variety of educational and awareness initiatives with the aim to continue promoting sustainability, combating illegal poaching, and raising awareness about the illegal wildlife trade and animal conservation overall. Additionally, we strongly focus on education and inspiring the next generation of conservationists to foster deeper connections with wildlife in fun and meaningful ways. We’ve launched Junior Park Rangers amongst other initiatives, which resulted in strong engagement. In fact, we’ve hosted over 40,000 students throughout the season. 

Overall, we’ve seen an incredible increase of 67% travel trade sales this season at Dubai Safari Park, reflecting the stronger appetite and demand for sustainable tourism and that is very promising and exciting. 

What are some of the key strategies in place to further develop partnerships with travel agents and tour operators to increase the education, interest and visitations?

We absolutely love welcoming both residents and tourists and that is increasingly a focus for us, as we widen our reach. 

We have a dedicated Travel Trade team who works closely with travel agents, and regularly explore ways to optimize the offerings and cater to the market’s demands through curated FAM trips, training sessions, and participation in international events. 

Travel agents and tour operators are important partners and contribute significantly to our business particularly as the main touchpoint with many of our customers, so it is really important for us to equip them with the necessary resources and tools, marketing materials and pricing schemes, to help ensure a smooth and effective sales process and offer the best we can to our future visitors.

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