Dubai Tourism expects a state of stability during 2021 with the gradual completion of the reopening of global markets

3.5 million local tourists spent vacation in Dubai between May and December 2020

  • New projects will contribute to enhancing Dubai's tourism position, such as the Museum of the Future.

    Photography: Ashok Verma

  • Hilal Saeed Al-Marri: "Domestic tourism has played a pivotal role in moving the wheel of Dubai's economy in 2020, and it will continue to do so in 2021."

picture

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai (Dubai Tourism) confirmed that domestic tourism has played a pivotal role in moving the wheel of Dubai's economy in 2020, and it will continue to do so during 2021, with the gradual reopening of global markets.

She revealed in statements to local media on the sidelines of the Arab Travel Market 2021 exhibition, whose activities began the day before yesterday, at the Dubai World Trade Center "in attendance", that the data shows that more than 3.5 million residents of the country enjoyed a vacation in Dubai during the period. From May to December 2020, an increase of 55%, compared to the same period in 2019.

She expected that we will witness a state of stability during 2021, stressing that she will continue to benefit from the initiatives launched in 2020, such as the golden visa, the "work at a distance" and "retirement in Dubai" programs.

The "Covid-19" pandemic

In detail, the Director General of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, Hilal Saeed Al-Marri, said that the emirate has successfully dealt with the “Covid-19” pandemic, according to the highest levels of flexibility and efficiency, to witness a gradual return to tourism sector activities.

In statements to local media on the sidelines of the Arab Travel Market 2021 exhibition, he added that Dubai is one of the first cities in the world that has had a clear approach since the beginning of the pandemic, in terms of preparedness, flexibility and rapid response, as it imposed a comprehensive ban to contain the outbreak of the new Corona virus, to take measures The occasion within each stage, until it became one of the first cities to reopen its economy and activities, and it is still continuing on this path.

Ongoing review

Al-Marri explained that the reasons that contributed to achieving this achievement are the continuous review of the developments of the epidemiological situation, and everything related to the sector, to ensure the public safety of guests and employees, so that Dubai can gradually resume activity, while ensuring full compliance with health and safety protocols from the first day, in line with Approved international practices and procedures.

He continued: “Within the framework of this strategy and continuous coordination with all parties, we were able to encourage domestic tourism in the month of May 2020, at a time when international visitors were received in July of the same year, so that we could host more than 5.5 million visitors in 2020, This is equivalent to a third of the number of visitors to Dubai in 2019, indicating Dubai's ability to promote the global tourism sector again. ”

He pointed out that he was accompanied by adherence to the preventive measures, by providing economic stimulus and a relief program worth more than seven billion dirhams, to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the economy and ensure business continuity, so that during 2021 we will witness a continuous growth of the tourism sector.

Domestic tourism

Al-Marri affirmed that the strategy of diversifying the markets pursued by Dubai Tourism has contributed to identifying the appropriate destinations to promote them, in light of the current situation changes, while ensuring that Dubai maintains its importance and competitiveness as a global destination, while domestic tourism was one of the most prominent features of 2020, and this appears when it was imposed Countries around the world have restrictions on travel, at a time when the department has encouraged domestic tourism.

And he indicated that the internal tourism strategy has been launched to harness the full potential of the sector by encouraging residents, citizens and residents, to take advantage of the advanced infrastructure, and the distinct offers through an integrated tourism environment of hotels, shopping malls, major landmarks, and tourist attractions, and the diversification of experiences and events, with Adhere to all health and safety protocols set by our health authorities.

He pointed out that it was clear that domestic tourism played a pivotal role in moving the wheel of Dubai's economy in 2020, and it will continue to do so in 2021 with the gradual reopening of global markets.

He revealed that the data shows that more than 3.5 million residents of the country enjoyed spending holidays in Dubai during the period from May to December 2020, an increase of 55%, compared to the same period in 2019.

Al-Marri stressed that Expo 2020 Dubai will be an exceptional global event, the organization of which will successfully contribute to overcoming all current challenges, and will reflect the great determination and determination of Dubai to achieve the impossible, and it will enhance Dubai's position and a favorite destination for visitors from all over the world.

International visitors

Al-Marri said: “Since July 2020, we have witnessed a growth in the tourism sector, as we received more than 1.7 million visitors between July and December, and the number of international visitors increased from 40,000 in July 2020 to 560,000 in December 2020, representing 33% of the total number of arrivals in the month. Same from 2019 ».

He added: “The recovery movement and the increase in visitor numbers in the second half of 2020 reflected the effectiveness of the approach taken by Dubai in overcoming this unprecedented challenge, and allowed us to continue this momentum in 2021, in which we received more than 1.26 million international visitors during the first quarter.” Pointing out that Dubai, through the partnership between the public and private sectors, launched several innovative initiatives to keep pace with the aspirations of visitors during this critical period in which the world lived.

New projects

Al-Marri added: “We look forward to 2021 to be one of the distinguished years in terms of the growth of the tourism sector, taking advantage of the organization of several important and international events, foremost of which is Expo 2020 Dubai, the first global event of its kind in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, in addition to celebrations. The country's golden jubilee.

This momentum will also increase through the launch of a group of new projects that will contribute to strengthening the position of the city, a favorite destination to visit, including (Ain Dubai), which is set to become the longest entertainment wheel in the world, as well as the Museum of the Future, and other landmarks and attractions that will be opened. In the coming period, what strengthens the tourist scene in the city ».

He stressed that «Dubai Tourism» is keen to work and coordinate directly with more than 3000 of its partners in the global travel sector, to promote the city as the best family tourism destination in the world, especially during the next summer season, and to contribute to the acceleration of the sector’s growth globally, and the return of things to the previous one. Her era.

The city reopened

Al Marri stressed that Dubai will continue to build on the strategic initiative to reopen the city to international visitors, and continue this approach while preserving the safety of the guests.

He added, "With the continuation of efforts to enhance confidence within the sector and also among travelers, and progress in the vaccination program worldwide, we expect to witness a state of stability during 2021, and Dubai will be ready to deal with various developments very quickly with the reopening of markets."

He continued: “In 2021 we will continue to benefit in the long term from the initiatives that were launched in 2020, such as the Golden Visa, which enables its holders to reside in Dubai for a period of five or 10 years, and it is directed to investors, entrepreneurs, and talented people in the disciplines of art, medicine and science, as well as For distinguished students, and real estate owners ».

He pointed to other programs launched earlier, including "remote work", "retirement in Dubai", and other programs that keep pace with the increasing demand of these groups, with the changing nature and dynamism of work in the world, stressing that Dubai is investing its position as a center. A global leader in business, which was evident from the increase in the number of startups and multinationals that have chosen them to base their operations.

Dubai ... Safety standards and expertise in providing distinctive experiences

The Director-General of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, "Dubai Tourism", Hilal Saeed Al-Marri, said that Dubai is one of the first global cities to resume business and leisure activities, with a commitment to apply comprehensive precautionary measures.

He added, "We have succeeded in organizing the Dubai Shopping Festival, and hosting the (GITEX) exhibitions in December 2020 and (Gulfood) in February 2021, which have succeeded in attracting more than 100,000 visitors from 162 countries."

Al-Marri stressed that the high turnout witnessed by events, conferences and exhibitions indicates a global desire to carry out activities and businesses, especially those that take place in a personal presence, pointing out that the questionnaires for these events confirm that 40% of the attendees decided to come to the event, despite being subject to quarantine. Upon their return to their countries, 41% of international visitors extended their stay after the event ended, while 85% of them stated that they came with the aim of business.

He explained that while we look forward to returning things to their normal course, the focus is on adopting innovative strategies that will encourage visitors to make the decision to travel abroad, as we have been keen since the beginning of the epidemic to follow the needs of international travelers, and we found that most of them are looking for destinations with the highest Safety standards, and has long experience in providing distinctive experiences for visitors, stressing that Dubai can meet these aspirations through its advanced infrastructure, the diversity of experiences it offers and the strict health and safety measures it follows.

"(Dubai Tourism) looks forward to 2021, to be one of the distinguished years in the growth of the tourism sector, benefiting from the organization of several important and international events."

Dubai will continue to build on the strategic initiative to reopen the city to international visitors, while keeping guests safe.

The "Golden Visa", "Telework" and "Retirement in Dubai" are strategic initiatives that support the tourism sector.

Expo 2020 Dubai is an exceptional global event that will reflect the great determination and determination of Dubai to achieve the impossible.

Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news