Hoor Al Khaja, Senior VP of International Operations at the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), shared with Gulf News at the Arabian Travel Market that Dubai is also exploring new source markets and strengthening existing tourism initiatives. The D33 strategy aims to double Dubai’s GDP in the next decade and position the city among the top three global destinations. There is significant support for new hotel chains, with plans to develop areas like Palm Jebel Ali and others, leading to increased investments and attractions.
As of January 2024, Dubai's hotel room inventory increased by 2% to 150,408 rooms, up from 147,199 last year. Hoor mentioned that the city has seen a rise in hotel rooms in recent years, with ongoing investments across various segments, including resorts, budget stays, hotel apartments, and holiday homes. This diversity ensures that Dubai caters to all types of visitors.
Dubai aims to attract 23-25 million tourists by 2025. The city set a record in 2023, welcoming 17.15 million international visitors, a 19% increase from the previous year. In the first quarter of 2024, Dubai saw 5.18 million visitors, an 11% rise from the same period last year.
Dubai's strategy involves targeting over 40 source markets, which proved beneficial during and after the pandemic. The city is nurturing existing markets while exploring new ones, such as Turkey and Pakistan. Dubai remains aligned with flight routes of Emirates and other airlines, targeting various segments including leisure, business, destination weddings, and medical tourism.
China remains a vital market for Dubai, though its outbound travel has not fully recovered from the pandemic. Despite this, Dubai has maintained strong performance and expects a full recovery of Chinese outbound travel. As of Q1 2024, Dubai received around 75% of the 2019 visitor numbers from China, about 218,000 visitors. Dubai continues to invest in tailored campaigns for events like Lunar New Year and Golden Week, aiming to lead the recovery of Chinese tourism.
The upcoming GCC Grand Tours visa will significantly benefit Dubai and the UAE, enhancing the region's connectivity. Dubai has been proactive with visa initiatives, offering various types such as visa-on-arrival, visa-free options, remote working visas, and the Golden visa. This flexibility supports Dubai's commitment to providing diverse access options for different consumer segments.
