(Dubai) More than seven million foreign tourists visited Dubai last year, the government of the emirate which currently hosts the World Expo said on Thursday, marking a revival of the tourism sector badly affected in 2020 by the COVID pandemic. -19.
Posted at 1:59 p.m.
“Dubai welcomed 7.28 million international visitors for one night or more between January and December 2021, representing a growth of 32%”, compared to the previous year, according to the latest figures from the Department of Economy and tourism in Dubai.
These figures “underline the resilience and recovery of the sector” in Dubai, underlines a press release from the department, which adds that “this positive trend is expected to continue throughout 2022 and beyond”.
Dubai, one of the seven emirates forming the United Arab Emirates, is known for hosting the tallest tower in the world, but also for its flashy hotels and luxury leisure activities.
The emirate, which currently hosts the 2020 World Expo, is banking on the event to attract more and more tourists. Since its opening in October, the Expo has already registered more than 11.6 million visitors, residents and travelers, according to local authorities.
Tourism is a mainstay of the economy of this oil-poor emirate, which welcomed 16.7 million tourists in 2019.
Before the health crisis, Dubai was the most important airport in the world in terms of foreign travellers, the emirate serving in particular as a transit platform for various destinations, particularly in Asia.
Recent attacks on the wealthy Gulf country, however, are jeopardizing its reputation as an oasis of peace in the Middle East.
In January, the Emirates were the target of three strikes claimed by rebels in Yemen, where Abu Dhabi is part of a military coalition that has intervened since 2015 in the war alongside the government against the Houthis.
One of the attacks, carried out using drones and missiles, left three dead in Abu Dhabi on January 17. Houthi rebels had also claimed missile fire which was intercepted over the Emirates on January 24 and 31.
On Wednesday, the Emirates said it had intercepted and destroyed “hostile drones” on its territory. The attack was claimed by a little-known group believed to have links to pro-Iran factions in Iraq, sparking fresh concerns of escalating tensions in the region.