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Emirate attracted over 5.5 million overseas visitors in 2020
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Visitor from newer markets in Europe, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are compensating for the shortfall from traditional markets
Dubai is actively seeking travelers from the new markets to bolster its tourism industry reeling from the still-unfolding fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, media reports said.
Quoting Dubai Tourism chief executive, Issam Kazim, the reports said he hoped that new markets can help compensate for the loss of visitors from key outbound markets where travel continues to be restricted.
Around 5.5 million overseas tourists visited Dubai last year, compared to 16.7 million arrivals in 2019.
The United Arab Emirates has banned visitors from India, traditionally a top source market, following the latest outbreak of Covid-19 in the South-Asian nation.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, the third biggest source market in 2019, has barred direct flights and requires travelers from the UAE to hotel quarantine.
Kazim said visitor numbers from newer markets in Europe, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) were performing well.
“All of these markets will start to add up and hopefully fill the gaps and give us a much stronger foundation to build a confident rebound going forward,” Kazim is quoted to have said.
Dubai had reopened its borders to international visitors last July and was a popular holiday spot over the New Year.
The Expo 2020 set to start in October, is also expected to drive a recovery in the tourism sector over the coming months.