Dubai's tourism back on track as visitors exceed pre-Covid level

Dubai's tourism sector achieved a significant milestone in the first half of 2023 by welcoming 8.55 million international overnight visitors, surpassing pre-pandemic levels of 8.36 million recorded in the first half of 2019, reports Arab News.
This represents the city's strongest first-half performance in its history, the Emirates News Agency, also known as WAM, reported citing data from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism.
The city achieved a 20 per cent year-on-year growth in terms of visitors in the first half of 2023. This further consolidates the emirate's aspiration, under the Dubai Economic Agenda 2033, to rank among the world's top three cities.
The agenda has outlined a new trajectory for the city to further consolidate its status as one of the world's top urban economies and tourism destinations. In addition, it reaffirms the emirate's position as the fastest-recovering destination globally.
The record performance in the first half of the year also surpasses the UN World Trade Organization's global projection of 80 to 95 per cent recovery to pre-pandemic levels for international tourist arrivals in 2023.
"The remarkable surge in international visitors witnessed by Dubai in the first half of 2023 further demonstrates its emergence as one of the brightest spots not only in the worldwide tourism sector but also the broader global economic landscape," said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive Council.
He added: "While the growth of international visitation reinforces Dubai's rise as a major global tourism destination, it also signifies its status as a pivotal hub for trade, investment, and enterprise."