Nigeria becomes the fastest growing market with 246,000 tourists, a 33% increase in 2018. Tourists will take guided tours at the resort of Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. According to a statement issued by the Dubai Media Office, the tourism industry currently accounts for 11.5% of Dubai’s GDP. Photo courtesy of Dubai Tourism Authority.
Tourists will take guided tours at the resort of Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. According to a statement issued by the Dubai Media Office, the tourism industry currently accounts for 11.5% of Dubai’s GDP. Photo courtesy of Dubai Tourism Authority.
According to a statement issued by the Dubai Press Office, Dubai’s tourism industry grew by 5.1% last year to 16.73 million.
The statement said that the tourism industry currently accounts for 11.5% of Dubai’s GDP and added that Dubai ranks third in the 2019 World Tourism Council and World Tourism Council reports and is the best city for direct international tourism.
Helal Saeed Almarri, director of the Dubai Tourism Authority, said: “In the last ten years, and especially 2019, Dubai’s status as a favourite destination for travellers worldwide has been unprecedentedly enhanced.”
He added: “Although the global economy is still changing, we can clearly see an exciting opportunity to increase Dubai’s dominance in the tourism industry by 2020.”
Despite its recent strong performance in increasing the number of tourists from China, Oman, and the Philippines, Dubai has yet to achieve its goal of attracting 20 million tourists by 2020. Data throughout the year indicate that Nigeria has been the fastest-growing local market in Dubai, with 246,000 tourists in the country, a 33% year-on-year increase.
The World Expo 2020 is expected to open in October, which will attract a large number of tourists to the UAE.
Last year, India remained Dubai’s main tourism market with less than 2 million tourists. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia remains the second largest market with 1.6 million tourists, and the United Kingdom is the third-largest market with 1.2 million tourists.
Oman is the fourth largest market after a 24.3% increase in visitor numbers due to a series of seasonal events. Visits during the Eid festival increased by 47% year-on-year, and visits during the National Day of the Sultanate of Oman increased by 25% year-on-year.
The number of tourists from China increased by 15.5% year-on-year to 989,000, and the number of tourists from Russia increased by 7.4% to 728,000, ranking fifth and sixth respectively.
The top ten consisted of visitors from the United States. The United States of America, Germany, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the latter increased by 23.2%.
Among the top 20 countries, other strong domestic markets include France, Egypt, Italy, and the CIS countries. Reducing visa restrictions for Kazakhstan tourists in 2018 means that the number of tourists in the country has increased by 23% to 147,000 overnight.
The United Arab Emirates has adopted a series of measures to facilitate visits to the country. Earlier this month, at this year’s first Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the Chief of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, announced the availability of a five-year tourist visa and multiple entries for tourists of all nationalities, the emirate. It is also exempted from tax treatment. In the summer, tourist visas for children under 18 accompanied by their parents are valid for two months.
Since 2017, Saba Ghani has been serving as the talented and dedicated chief content writer for Pakistan Tour and Travel & EMHI Solutions. With her exceptional writing skills and in-depth knowledge of the travel industry, she has been instrumental in crafting engaging and informative content that captivates the audience. You can catch her at [email protected] or Twitter
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