Tourist arrivals in Dubai have bounced back to the pre-COVID-19 times with the emirate receiving 71.2 lakh visitors during the January-June period this year. Over the same six months in 2021, only 25 lakh tourists had visited Dubai. In other words, tourist arrivals almost trebled compared to last year. In 2019, before the pandemic struck, 83.6 lakh tourists had arrived in Dubai during the January-June period.
Authorities in the emirate consider the latest figures as a positive sign for the travel and tourism sector in the region. They point out that hotels too have witnessed 74% occupancy during the first half of this year.
According to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the increase in tourist arrivals is the first step in realizing the goal of turning the emirate into the world’s most popular travel destination.
Incidentally, Dubai as well as other Gulf Cooperation Council nations recorded a big leap of 34% in the number of travellers even as major European tourism destinations witnessed a mere 22% occupancy during the first six months of 2022.