DUBAI BREAKS RECORD IN WELCOMING THE WORLD; SURPASSES PRE-COVID TOURISM FIGURES

Tourists are flocking to Dubai in record-breaking numbers. In the first six months of 2023, the city welcomed 8.55 million international visitors, exceeding the pre-pandemic figure of 8.36 million tourists in H1 2019. This marks a year-on-year growth of 20 per cent. Latest data released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism shows that the city is steadily advancing towards the goal of becoming the world’s most visited destination. The first half of 2023 represents the industry’s best ever H1 performance. The emirate’s hotels outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all hospitality metrics in H1 2023. Average hotel occupancy stood at 78 per cent, which is among highest in the world. The record H1 performance reaffirms Dubai’s position as the fastest recovering destination globally, and far exceeds the projection made by the United Nations World Trade Organisation that international tourist arrivals could reach between 80-95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels this year. Source: Khaleej Times