Dubai is celebrating good news on the tourism front. The city welcomed more than 7 million visitors in 2021, representing year-over-year growth of 32 percent.
According to the latest data published by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) international visitation to the city surpassed 3.4 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2021. The result is that the city has reached 74 percent of its total pre-pandemic tourist arrivals of the fourth quarter of 2019.
Under the visionary leadership and guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, our ability and agility in achieving a remarkable turnaround amid continuing global challenges has cemented Dubai's position as the destination of choice for international travellers," said Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism. "The outstanding performance also advances our journey towards becoming the most visited destination and the world's best city to live and work in. In leading the global tourism recovery with the support of our stakeholders and partners, Dubai constantly set precedents, demonstrating how to safely yet effectively open up to international visitors and, critically, stay open. Dubai's well-coordinated, consistent, proactive and creative approach enabled it to lay the groundwork for an accelerated recovery that received a major boost with the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations."
Al Marri noted that these numbers and Dubai's success is the direct result of a targeted tourism strategy.
"Dubai's success in 2021 is testament to the carefully calibrated strategy and decisive measures that were put in place at the outset to counter and manage the pandemic across all sectors including trade and tourism," he said. "By meticulously following the highest standards of hygiene and safety, supported by diligence and cooperation from all stakeholders, Dubai has been able to reinforce the trust that UAE residents and global travelers place in the city as one of the safest in the world, allowing them to enjoy the diversity of the destination offering within a relaxed environment. As we move forward throughout 2022, we are confident that the significant momentum now gathered will accelerate even further to continue to attract not just tourists but also investors, entrepreneurs and innovators to Dubai, enabling them to enjoy and avail themselves of all that our multi-faceted city has to offer."
Dubai maintained an image as a safe place for international visitors, and while international travel was strong, its hotel sector was also buoyed by domestic travelers.
Western Europe accounted for 22 percent of total visitors in 2021, with visitation led by the U.K., followed by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
South Asia was about 18 percent of the international visitation with Russia, CIS and Eastern Europe together making a 15 percent contribution.
The city's hotels performed strongly in the fourth quarter and outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all measurements in the fourth quarter of 2021. Average occupancy was 81.4 percent compared to 80.7 percent during the fourth quarter of 2019.
Overall, average occupancy was 67 percent in 2021 compared to 54 percent in 2020, which was one of the highest occupancy rates overall in the world.
Expo 2020 was a major draw for the country, opening in October of last year and running through March of this year.
In 2022, Dubai looks to maintain its reputation as a safe destination for travel. More than 94 percent of the population is vaccinated and its health and safety measures propelled much of the city's tourism success.
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