Dubai Online ( www.dubai-online.com ), a website dedicated to promoting tourism in Dubai, was officially launched.
A unique feature of the website is a system that allows its readers to share their personal videos of Dubai.

Readers are encouraged to upload their videos of attractions, activities and events to file sharing services such as Google Video. They then complete a simple form that enables these to be embedded in the Dubai Online site.

Owner, David Mottershead says ‘We are very excited about this feature. We aim to provide a permanent visual record of the Dubai’s tourism attractions that will in turn boost visitor numbers. No other sites in the region are offering this service.’

Dubai Online offers free listings and advertising to tourist attractions, hotels, activity providers, events and any businesses that would interest visitors. A section of the site also deals with employment in the region. Expatriate organizations and recruitment consultants are also offered free space on the site.

David adds ‘I own a number of tourist websites including Visit North West ( www.visitnorthwest.com ), one of the most popular sites in the UK. Unlike most other sites we don’t charge for listings. Content is king on the internet and we make it easy for others to add content. We make it free. This model has been extremely successful elsewhere and I am confident it will be successful in Dubai.’

Further differentiating itself from the mass of other Dubai websites, Dubai Online uses Flash-based slideshows rather than still images. These add movement to the site and captivate the reader. This also allows more room for text, since several images are displayed within the same space.

The site also allows businesses and organizations to submit press releases to its news section. These are categorized and feed automatically to the relevant section of the website, ensuring that information is delivered on a timely basis to the appropriate audience.
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