The number of Indian tourists visiting Dubai increased by 62.76 percent from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, according to the city’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
According to the most recent numbers from DET, 3.76 lakh Indians travelled to the Middle Eastern country in the same period in 2022. There was a 17 percent YoY increase, from 39.7 lakh to 46.7 lakh, in the number of foreign overnight guests that Dubai saw in the first quarter of 2023.
“The remarkable growth in international visitation achieved in the first quarter of 2023 demonstrates the city’s emergence as one of the key destinations leading the way in the rebound of the global tourism sector,” said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. According to him, Dubai’s contributions to the future of the global economy are set to increase under the Dubai Economic Agenda.
“The tourist industry is not only the bedrock of our economy, but also a crucial facilitator of Dubai’s unique position as a bridge between global markets, cultures, and regions. Further, “Dubai will continue to introduce new path breaking initiatives to offer a distinctive proposition for travellers and achieve its goal of becoming the world’s best place to live, visit, work, and invest in the years ahead,” he said.
The number of tourists that visited Dubai in the first three months of 2023 was just 2% lower than the pre-pandemic total of 47.5 lakh in the first three months of 2019.Despite current global economic headwinds, DET hailed this as a remarkable achievement since turning the tide in July 2020 by reopening the city to international tourists.
“The first three months of 2023 have put us on a very promising course for the entire year. According to DET Director General Helal Saeed Almarri, “sustainability will form the core of all that we do, incorporating sustainable practises into every aspect of the visitor experience to advance our journey towards becoming the world’s best city to live and work in.”
According to DET, most areas have seen considerable growth in Q1 2023 compared to the same time in 2022, and four regions (CIS and Eastern Europe, MENA, the Americas, and Australasia) have fully recovered and surpassed Q1 2019 levels. The number of tourists visiting South Asia and Western Europe is almost back to where it was before the epidemic, the report said.