Dubai Tourism continues to drive recovery with new phase of global campaign

Dubai welcomed 2.85 million international overnight visitors from January to July 2021, further accelerating momentum in this landmark year of Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee, the latest industry data by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has revealed.

Supported by a solid network of stakeholders and partners, Dubai’s international marketing outreach aims to build on the steady influx of visitors to Dubai since the city was reopened to tourists in July 2020, and is further evidence of Dubai’s consistent and calibrated approach since the start of the global pandemic to ensure the destination remains resilient and safe for international travellers. Dubai was one of the first cities globally to reopen its markets and businesses, and continues to stay open, while ensuring strict compliance with globally benchmarked health and safety protocols.

The UAE has one of the world’s highest per capita vaccination rates, with close to 89 per cent of residents having received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 78 per cent having received both doses to-date. Boosted by demand for staycations in the domestic market and visitation from international markets that are open, hotels in Dubai enjoyed occupancy levels of 61 per cent overall from January to July 2021. By the end of July 2021, Dubai’s hotel inventory stood at 718 establishments offering 129,318 rooms with RevPAR increasing to Dh225 compared to Dh194 for the same period in 2020. In the first seven months of 2021, the occupied room nights for hotels stood at 16.34 million versus 10.74 million for the corresponding period in 2020.

According to data collected by STR, for the first seven months of 2021, Dubai ranked second globally in terms of occupancy after Singapore and ahead of London and Paris. For the January-July 2021 period, Dubai’s year-to-date RevPAR was highest amongst the four destinations, followed by Singapore, Paris and London.

“Dubai’s ability to evolve and adapt has been critical in ensuring that the city retained its position at the forefront of the world’s leading travel destinations,” said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Tourism. “As we continue to play a pivotal role in the global tourism recovery with the support of our stakeholders and partners, the positive growth that we have registered in the first seven months of this landmark year for Dubai is also testament to the effective citywide management of the pandemic that has enabled us to reassure travellers and ensure their safety at every touchpoint from arrival to departure, as we further enhance our position as one of the world’s safest destinations.”

rohma@khaleejtimes.com