By Ghulam Haider
Dubai’s tourism industry experienced a 97% YoY growth in 2022, with 14.36 million international overnight visitors, surpassing the global and regional tourism recovery levels, according to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism.
This growth supports the ambitious goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033. Dubai’s rise as one of the world’s most connected cities and its determination to lead the world in hospitality infrastructure and service levels are the key factors behind its exceptional growth.
Dubai was ranked as the No.1 global destination in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023 for the second year in a row and reached 86% of pre-pandemic levels in 2022. The city’s robust performance in the tourism industry is a testament to its growing role as a leader in the global tourism recovery.
Dubai’s continuous growth is driven by strategic investments and federal policy reforms, which have attracted global entrepreneurs, talent, investors, and travelers. The success of its initiatives and strategies has given confidence to the city to tap new growth opportunities in the global travel and business sectors in the coming decades.
Dubai’s international markets showed noteworthy spikes in the city’s traditional key markets and strong growth across emerging markets. Western Europe and GCC regions each accounted for a 21% share of arrivals, with South Asia contributing 17% and the MENA region 12%. Dubai’s hotel sector continued to perform strongly, with an average occupancy of 73%, rising from 67% in 2021 and just short of the 75% occupancy in the pre-pandemic period of 2019. Dubai’s hotel sector outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all other key measurements and showed continued strong investor confidence in the city’s tourism sector.
Dubai’s tourism industry demonstrated exceptional growth in 2022, surpassing global and regional tourism recovery levels. The city’s robust performance is a testament to its growing role as a leader in the global tourism recovery and its determination to lead the world in hospitality infrastructure and service levels. Dubai’s continuous growth is driven by strategic investments and federal policy reforms, which have attracted global entrepreneurs, talent, investors, and travelers to the city. Dubai’s hotel sector continued to perform strongly and showed continued strong investor confidence in the city’s tourism sector.
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