Arab News, Wednesday, Aug 09, 2023 | Muharram 22, 1445
Dubai’s tourism back on track as visitors exceed pre-COVID level
Emirates:
Dubai’s tourism sector achieved a significant milestone in the first half of
2023 by welcoming 8.55 million international overnight visitors, surpassing
pre-pandemic levels of 8.36 million recorded in the first half of 2019.
This represents the city’s strongest first-half
performance in its history, the Emirates News Agency, also known as WAM,
reported citing data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
The city achieved a 20 percent year-on-year growth
in terms of visitors in the first half of 2023. This further consolidates the
emirate’s aspiration, under the Dubai Economic Agenda 2033, to rank among the
world’s top three cities.
The agenda has outlined a new trajectory for the
city to further consolidate its status as one of the world’s top urban economies
and tourism destinations. In addition, it reaffirms the emirate’s position as
the fastest-recovering destination globally.
The record performance in the first half of the
year also surpasses the UN World Trade Organization’s global projection of 80 to
95 percent recovery to pre-pandemic levels for international tourist arrivals in
2023.
“The remarkable surge in international visitors
witnessed by Dubai in the first half of 2023 further demonstrates its emergence
as one of the brightest spots not only in the worldwide tourism sector but also
the broader global economic landscape,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive
Council.
He added: “While the growth of international
visitation reinforces Dubai’s rise as a major global tourism destination, it
also signifies its status as a pivotal hub for trade, investment, and
enterprise.”
During the first half of 2023, Western Europe
emerged as a significant contributor to Dubai’s tourism sector, accounting for
20 percent of total international tourists.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the
Middle East and North Africa regions jointly represented 28 percent of the
regional tourism influx.
South Asia made up 17 percent of the overall
visitors to Dubai, followed by Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States,
and Eastern Europe with a collective 14 percent.
Additionally, North Asia and Southeast Asia
together added 8 percent, while contributions from the Americas stood at 7
percent. Africa and Australasia chipped in with 4 percent and 2 percent,
respectively.
GDP growth
Dubai’s gross domestic product also grew 2.8 percent year on year to reach 111.3
billion dirhams ($30 billion).
The wholesale and retail trade sectors were the largest contributors to the
growth accounting for 22.9 percent of the GDP.