DUBAI – The number of international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2023 for Dubai reached 4.67 million implying that the tourism is rebounding years after the pandemic disrupted travel.
According to data published by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Dubai was visited by 3.97 million tourists during the same period in 2022 which confirms that there is a 17 per cent year-on-year growth and best first quarter performance since the pandemic began.
H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum commented on the stats by saying that the remarkable growth in international visitation achieved by Dubai demonstrates the city’s emergence as one of the key destinations leading the way in the recovery of the global tourism sector.
“This achievement has been made possible by the far-reaching vision of the leadership to transform Dubai into one of the world’s fastest-growing metropolises and the globe’s pre-eminent hub for travel, talent, entrepreneurship and investment,” he added.
The industry results announced at Arabian Travel Market position Dubai as the fastest recovering destination globally, achieving 98 percent of pre-pandemic levels in first quarter of this year even surpassing projection made by the United Nations World Trade Organisation which said international tourist arrivals could reach between 80-95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, especially in Europe and the Middle East.
Interestingly, 4.75 million tourists arrived in Dubai in the first three months of 2019 before the pandemic began which implies that the gap is being narrowed down swiftly.
The travel recovery has sent waves of jubilation across the tourism experts who claim that the future looks promising for Dubai considering the available stats.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said the first quarter performance has ‘set us off on a very strong trajectory’ for the year.
“The positive industry performance is an endorsement of our well-defined strategy, and a testament to the unwavering support of our tourism industry partners and stakeholders,” he opined.
The United Arab Emirates in general and Dubai in particular are trying to attract tourists and as per latest developments, a Schengen style visa is also being envisioned for the region. The statistics confirm that Dubai will continue to be visited by businessmen, politicians, IT experts, globetrotters and people from all walks of life who find the region pleasant in terms of oppurtunites and lifestyle offered.
