Managers: The emirate has imposed itself firmly on the global tourism map
Tourism in Dubai..a major driver and supporter of the economic diversification strategy
Dubai has enormous tourism potential and developed infrastructure.
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Sectors that built Dubai's economy
The Emirate of Dubai has achieved widespread global fame, making it a global destination for the economy, attracting capital and entrepreneurs from various countries, and becoming a springboard for many billion companies thanks to its advanced infrastructure and flexible legislative environment.
Several sectors have contributed to the growth of the emirate's economy and achieved leaps and bounds in all fields over the past years. Perhaps the most prominent of these sectors are: aviation, tourism, retail, technology, real estate and financial services.
The aviation sector continued to support the growth of Dubai's economy with high rates of passenger flow and linking the emirate to the outside world.
Dubai International Airport is an essential tributary to the emirate's economy, and a major enabling factor in the growth of the country's trade volume in general, and the Emirate of Dubai in particular, with various global markets.
The tourism sector has contributed to the diversification of the emirate's economy, as Dubai has huge tourism potentials and a developed infrastructure that has made it a favorite destination to visit throughout the year.
The retail trade sector is one of the activities that support the growth and diversification of Dubai's economy, as it has contributed to keeping pace with the economic development movement in the emirate.
The real estate sector has also recorded remarkable growth levels during the last period, as Dubai has become a magnet for investors from all over the world.
Dubai real estate witnessed a significant improvement in its investment attractiveness with the high return on investment from leasing it thanks to the stimulating measures.
Officials and managers said that Dubai’s tourism marketing strategy focused on several areas, targeting various segments of visitors around the world, taking advantage of the city’s enjoyment of huge tourism potentials and advanced infrastructure, which are integrated with the city’s offers, activities and events that make it a preferred destination for visiting throughout the year. This strategy has contributed to placing Dubai on the map of the largest and most prominent tourist destinations in the world, and the preferred choice for millions of visitors each year.
They told "Emirates Today" that in addition to the tireless work to diversify markets, raise the capacity of hotel rooms and attract foreign investments, promotional policies focused on targeting family and entertainment tourism, as well as business and conference tourism, as well as medical tourism, and other sectors, including This includes sporting and cultural events, and tourism offers targeting families and children have expanded significantly, noting that tourism in Dubai is the locomotive of the non-oil economy and a major attraction for foreign investment.
Infrastructure and components
In detail, Issam Kazim, Executive Director of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said that "the tourism sector in Dubai achieved a remarkable growth of 5.1% in 2019, as the emirate welcomed more than 16.73 million international visitors, compared to the same period in 2018, exceeding that The global tourism growth rate projected by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Kazim added that "Dubai has succeeded in enhancing its position as a competitive destination for its counterparts from other global cities, as well as increasing its attractiveness and flexibility, inspired by the vision and directives of our wise leadership, which aims to make it a leading destination for business, investment and tourism."
He continued: "Dubai has succeeded in consolidating its position on the global tourism map, as Dubai enjoys huge tourism potentials and a developed infrastructure, which are integrated with the city's offerings, activities and events that make it a preferred destination to visit throughout the year.
While we cooperate with our partners to offer many enjoyable experiences, promotions, as well as hotel accommodation packages, and recreational activities and events, all of which contribute to making Dubai a favorite destination to visit during the summer.”
And he indicated that "Dubai continues to provide everything that is new and distinctive, to make each visit a unique experience, and the city has been able to open more tourist attractions and entertainment destinations, which contribute to increasing its attractiveness to different segments of visitors."
favorite destination
Kazim said, "Dubai has maintained its position as a preferred destination to visit, with the continuation of the successful global marketing campaigns launched by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai throughout the year.
Dubai maintains its international position as a first destination for travelers around the world, as it involves famous and influential personalities in its marketing campaigns, who contribute to showing Dubai’s attractiveness and its tourism potential, in addition to its unique experiences.”
And he indicated that «there are many strategies and development plans, which would contribute to making Dubai the city of the future, as well as strengthening its position as a global destination for investment, business and tourism.
Perhaps the most prominent of them is the Dubai Urban Plan 2040, which aims to develop an integrated map to achieve sustainable urban development in Dubai, centered on people and aiming to improve the quality of life and enhance the global competitiveness of the emirate, and contribute to providing multiple options for citizens, residents and visitors.
Kazim added: "Dubai continues to launch initiatives to ease and facilitate procedures in order to attract travelers, whether with the aim of tourism or business, in addition to other programs that encourage residence and life in Dubai, including visas," pointing to an important achievement added to the global achievements of Dubai by choosing it. The International Association for Meetings and Conferences, the first destination in the world for meetings of international associations, according to the report issued by the Association, pointing out that "Dubai was able to attract the attention of organizers of meetings and conferences, as well as officials of associations and international organizations to organize events in it."
non-oil economy
For his part, Munther Darwish, CEO of Palazzo Versace Dubai Hotel and founder of Palazzo Hospitality, said, "Dubai worked early on to develop its non-oil economy, as the tourism sector was one of the main beneficiaries of this trend, and this sector attracted a number of One of the international hotel operators, who were keen to open their international hotel brands in Dubai.”
Darwish stated that “in addition to the diligent work to diversify markets and raise the capacity of hotel rooms in Dubai, the promotional policies focused on targeting more segments of visitors, including families and leisure tourism, in addition to business and conference tourism, as well as medical tourism, and other sectors, Tourism offers targeting families and children have also expanded significantly.
He said, "Dubai has also worked in recent years to attract major sporting and cultural events.
In August 2016, the emirate (Dubai Opera) opened in downtown Dubai, and cultural tourism activities have become increasingly popular in the city in the past few years,” noting that “one of the main natural results and contribution to the development of cultural tourism in Dubai is the resort of many artists. from all over the world to regularly display their work in Dubai exhibitions.”
Visitor segments
Darwish pointed out that "promoting Dubai's reputation as a regional center for international sporting events was the focus of attention of the concerned authorities in Dubai, and this effort can be traced back to the establishment of the Dubai Sports Council in November 2005," noting that "Dubai receives every year increasing numbers of visitors for the purpose of sports tourism. ».
Darwish said: "In 2013, Dubai was chosen as the second best city in the world in the field of organizing sporting events and events, during the Seventh International Conference on Sport Events Management, with the participation of a large number of international sports organizations and federations, and it hosts the most prominent international sports and artistic events, foremost of which are: The Dubai World Cup for Horses, the most expensive horse races in the world, the (Dubai Desert Classic Golf), the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Dubai Tour.
tourism product
For his part, Waleed Al-Awa, General Manager of Tamani Marina Hotel, said, "The contribution of the tourism sector to Dubai's economy, in addition to travel and aviation, has achieved amazing results over the past years, in light of well-defined policies aimed at achieving integration of services provided to visitors to the emirate. From direct and flexible travel options to exceptional entertainment destinations and tourism experiences that meet the various requirements of visitors.”
Al-Awa indicated that "Dubai has imposed itself firmly on the world tourism map, and it has appeared as a famous tourist brand in itself, visited by millions of tourists annually," noting that "the demand for the tourism product has witnessed significant growth rates."
He pointed out that “medical tourism is another major area of growth, in early 2016, when the Dubai plan in the field of medical tourism was announced, and the leading brand (Dubai Health Experience) was launched, to enhance Dubai’s leading position in the health tourism sector on the global map. ».
global center
In addition, Saeed Al-Abedy, head of the Holding Company for Tourism and Travel, said: “Another key area for tourism development is the exhibitions, conferences and exhibitions market, which has expanded rapidly in the UAE, as the Emirate of Dubai has acquired the largest market share for meetings, conferences and exhibitions in the region. ».
Al-Abedy stated that “Dubai has been able to attract the attention of organizers of meetings and conferences, as well as officials of international organizations to organize events in it, thanks to its infrastructure and ease of air connectivity, being a global center for business and finance, as business events play an important role in attracting visitors from all over the world.” The world, in addition to its great economic contribution and impact,” noting that “the Dubai World Trade Center played a major role in diversifying Dubai’s economy, and worked to create a broader economic impact, consolidating Dubai’s position as a global center for trade and business tourism.”
He stated that "more major companies around the world have taken Dubai during the past years, as a preferred destination for them to establish their activities and events," noting that "shopping is the cornerstone of the tourism market in Dubai, and the retail sector remains pivotal to the growth strategy in the emirate, and the sector includes many events annual retail focus, such as the Dubai Shopping Festival.
lively city
In the same context, General Manager of Al-Awadi Travels, Amin Al-Awadi, said: “One of the biggest transformations currently taking place in the tourism sector in Dubai involves attracting a larger share of middle-market visitors, as there are a large number of hotels, three and four stars, under construction. Currently".
And he indicated that "Dubai enjoys many elements of tourist attractions, as it embraces many entertainment destinations, in addition to being one of the safest tourist destinations in the world."
He pointed out that "Dubai is one of the first destinations to reopen its markets and provide services in its various facilities," noting that "the tourism sector, which is one of the pillars of Dubai's economy, achieved during the post-pandemic period, strong performance rates, as the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai revealed On the continuation of the tourism sector in the emirate, its strong performance since the beginning of this year, with continued growth, achieving very positive results during the period from January to May 2022, during which Dubai received more than 6.17 million international visitors, an increase of 197%, compared to the same period of the year. Past".
Al-Awadi indicated that "the tourism marketing strategy in Dubai focused on several areas, each of which targets segments of visitors from different markets of the world," noting that "this strategy contributed to placing Dubai on the map of the largest and most prominent tourist destinations in the world, and the preferred choice for millions of people. visitors every year.”
Diversity of options
In turn, the regional director of Hyatt Hotels Group in Dubai and general manager of the Grand Hyatt, Fathi Khojaly, said that "the tourism sector in Dubai, in recent decades, has made qualitative leaps in terms of international tourist flow rates and the number of new facilities and rooms, as well as About the huge diversity of entertainment options, facilities and new destinations that have attracted the interest of millions around the world,” noting that “the sector has received great attention from the Dubai government, during the past years, by providing an attractive legislative environment and infrastructure for tourism investments, as well as a permanent development of facilities.” provided to investors, as well as visitors.
And he indicated that "the establishment of (Emirates Airlines), and the tremendous development witnessed by Dubai International Airport, to become the largest air transport crossing in the world, had a key role in increasing Dubai's attractiveness as a tourist destination for various segments of visitors around the world," noting that "tourism is more The sectors that have witnessed tremendous growth in the past years, to become a major source of growth in Dubai’s economy.”
He stated that "the contribution of tourism is not limited to hotel accommodation only, as the revenues generated by the sector directly and indirectly put the emirate in the list of the largest tourist destinations in the world, in terms of the rate of visitor spending," noting that "the tourism sector supports many other sectors, including This includes food, shopping, entertainment and air transportation.
He added, "The tourism sector also played a prominent role in the real estate sector's activity," noting that "many tourists who came to Dubai later chose it as an investment destination for them, in terms of buying real estate or choosing the city, a destination to live and work."
Continuous growth in facilities and rooms
The Dubai government has succeeded in stimulating tourism, by providing the necessary infrastructure and encouraging private sector investments in hotels and other places of residence for visitors. The total number of new hotel rooms that were opened in Dubai within 12 months between April 2021 and April 2022, reached 12,324 rooms, an average of 1,027 new rooms per month, according to data issued by the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai.
According to these data, which "Emirates Today" obtained a copy of, the number of hotel rooms in Dubai, at the end of April 2022, reached 140,363 hotel rooms, compared to 128,12 hotel rooms at the end of April 2021, with a growth rate of 9.6%.
Dubai is the first in the world to attract tourism investment
Dubai ranked first in the world in attracting foreign direct investment and projects in the field of tourism, and the tourism sector in Dubai accounted for about 6.4 billion dirhams ($ 1.7 billion) of foreign direct investment, with 30 projects of foreign direct investment, during 2021, according to Data of the Dubai Monitor for Foreign Direct Investment, published by the Dubai Investment Development Corporation, one of the institutions of the Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai.
The year 2021 culminated in a successful march, which spanned over five consecutive years since 2017, during which Dubai maintained its progress over global cities, such as London, Paris and Shanghai, in terms of attracting foreign direct investment to the tourism sector, with a total of 83.5 billion dirhams ($22.8 billion). ) across 205 projects over the five years.
International visitor spending
The United Nations World Tourism Organization reported that the spending of international visitors in the Emirate of Dubai reached 21 billion and 800 million dollars (80 billion dirhams) during 2019, before the pandemic, compared to 21 billion and 375 million dollars (more than 78.6 billion dirhams) in 2018. Dubai alone accounts for about 27% of the total spending in the 10 countries in the Middle East region combined and included in the data.
The organization stated that the Emirate of Dubai continued to record large rates in the volume of spending of international visitors during the past years, as it rose from about 8.5 billion dollars (31 billion dirhams) in 2010 to 21.8 billion dollars (more than 80 billion dirhams) in 2019. International visitors, also referred to as "international tourism revenue," includes payments made by visitors for goods or services they receive at the intended tourist destination.
Economic impact and added value to other sectors
Tourism is an important economic sector in Dubai's economy, and the definition of tourism in the national accounts of Dubai includes the activities of accommodation and food services (restaurants and hotels).
In 2019, the services, accommodation and food activities achieved an added value of 20.5 billion dirhams and contributed 5.1% of the GDP (at constant prices).
According to the economic report of the Emirate of Dubai, tourism also plays an important, but indirect, role in increasing the added value of other related sectors, such as: aviation, airports, land and maritime transport sectors, and construction.
The Dubai government has focused on tourism, and has turned the emirate into a business center in the region and an important leisure destination, and it is working to increase conferences, exhibitions and medical tourism as well.
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