According to the latest figures from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), an impressive 7.12 million international visitors arrived in the emirate between January and June 2022.
A figure that translated means a growth of over 183% compared to the 2.52 million tourists who visited Dubai in the same period in 2021. This positive trend puts the city on track to achieve the tourism targets set for 2022 and further strengthens its position as a favourite destination for international tourism.
Resilient and dynamic economy
“The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the best place in the world to live, work and invest, has led to a renaissance in the tourism sector. The growth in tourists reflects the resilience and dynamism of the emirate’s economy. His Highness’ vision has helped Dubai create a strong and stable economic base and a dynamic business ecosystem, enabling it to become a leading global hub in several sectors” said Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.
“The rapid increase in international tourist arrivals puts Dubai on track to achieve its ambitious goal of becoming the most visited destination in the world. In the coming years, Dubai will continue to develop further as a destination that offers unparalleled value to international travellers,” added the Crow Prince.
Numbers are close to pre-COVID figures
The number of tourists recorded in the first half of 2022 is close to that of the first six months of 2019, which saw 8.36 million tourists arrive in Dubai. The emirate’s ability to quickly return to near pre-pandemic tourism levels is even more remarkable when considering the impact of unprecedented challenges and other macroeconomic factors impacting the global economy and the tourism sector.
Looking at regional market shares, Western Europe accounted for a significant share of tourist arrivals, with 22% of total international visitors in the first six months of 2022. The MENA and GCC regions contributed 34% to international arrivals, highlighting Dubai’s strong attractiveness to tourists from surrounding markets and confirming it as a preferred and trusted destination.
These regions are closely followed by South Asia, with a 16% share, and Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe, which together account for 11% of total visitors in H1 2022. The wide geographic spread of arrivals reflects Dubai’s diversified strategy to bring in traffic from a broad spectrum of countries and visitor segments, mitigating the risks associated with over-reliance on a single region and underlining the success of the destination’s marketing campaigns that deliver tailored messages through specialised audience platforms.
Source: KAWA News
