Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing has announced that since Dubai reopened its borders on 7 July 2020 to the world, over 3.7 million individuals visited Dubai from then until May 2021.
Despite the issues faced around the world due to the pandemic, Dubai played a vital role in global tourism recovery by ensuring the health and safety of all residents and visitors, as well as making it a must-visit travel destination.
According to Dubai Tourism data, Dubai received more than 1.7 million visitors from July 2020 to December 2020 and an additional 2 million visitors in the first five months of 2021.
Tourism in Dubai was able to recover due to the strategies taken to combat COVID-19 as well as the National Vaccination Programme that has up to now administered over 15 million vaccine doses to citizens and residents across the UAE.
Staycations among UAE residents and citizens increased tourism growth with hotel occupancy rising from 35% in July 2020 to 58% in May 2021. In December 2020, hotel occupancy peaked at 69% and was at 66% in January 2021.
According to data from hotel management analytics firm STR, Dubai also ranked second globally in terms of occupancy after Singapore and ahead of Paris and London.
To ensure the safety of individuals, based on the guidelines of the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, a wide range of precautionary measures including effective testing and vaccination programmes.
Over 140,000 inspections on establishments across Dubai in the tourism field were held by government authorities in 2020.
With safety precautions in place, Dubai was additionally able to host in-person events which were on a standstill around the world since the pandemic.
In 2020, Dubai Tourism launched the Retire in Dubai programme which offered resident expatriates and foreigners aged 55 years and above the opportunity to retire in Dubai, and also launched the Virtual Working programme that allowed overseas professionals who want to work remotely to be based in Dubai.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai said, "The new data reveals that Dubai’s tourism rebound is gathering pace despite the current challenges faced by international markets. The growing momentum of recovery not only reflects the fundamental strengths of Dubai’s tourism sector and the diversity of its source markets but also the emirate’s economic resilience and agility in the face of a rapidly fluctuating global environment. We have seen inspiring commitment and proactivity from all stakeholders in the public and private sector to work together to adopt innovative approaches that can consolidate the sustainable recovery of the sector. Furthermore, Dubai’s ability to implement a rigorous precautionary protocol regime has made the city one of the world’s safest destinations for travelers. As we gear up to host Expo 2020, these exceptional standards will enable us to ensure the event provides the highest global benchmarks of safety and security for all visitors."