Dubai welcomes tourists from 30 countries

In the three weeks since Dubai reopened for tourists, it has seen an "increase in bookings" with travellers coming from more than 30 countries including France, Germany, Malaysia, UK, and US. A top Emirates airline official said it got more than 1.6 million searches for destination Dubai on its website.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates' Chief Operating Officer, said: "Dubai remains a highly attractive destination to international visitors. Emirates is working with Dubai Tourism and our other partners on even more attractive travel offers and packages, and we look forward to announcing (them) ... soon."
The airline said tourists can "easily apply for visas in advance", or get their visa stamped on arrival if they hold a passport from one of 70 countries and territories.
Dubai has also updated its entry requirements for inbound travellers. From August 1, Covid-19 PCR tests will be required for all travellers arriving to or transiting via Dubai. Travellers heading to the UK and Europe will also be required to hold a negative PCR test certificate.
Al Redha added: "We encourage travellers to consider Dubai as their destination of choice for enjoying their summer break, and to take advantage of the great offers and programmes during the Dubai Summer Surprises festival currently underway. Our customers can fly without the worry of procuring Covid-19 insurance which is required by many countries, as Emirates is the first airline to offer free global cover for the coronavirus if they should unfortunately test positive while they are travelling and away from home."
In 2019, Dubai welcomed 16.7 million visitors.
'Busy' weekend expected
Emirates is gearing up for a busy travel period this weekend for the Eid holiday. The airline said "peak travel" was expected to start from Wednesday evening with "Thursday, July 30, marking the busiest time for departures in Terminal 3".
reporters@khaleejtimes.com 

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