Dubai Tourism Sector Poised To Attract Travelers In Post Covid-19 Era

Dubai Tourism Sector Outlook 2021-22

With lockdowns and travel restrictions being lifted in several major travel destinations in the post-COVID-19 situation, travelers across the world are gearing up to travel abroad. To capitalize on an ever-evolving tourism trend, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has recently launched a new global campaign, featuring recognized celebrities. 

Dubai Tourism Campaign 2021

The campaign also invites global travelers, experience seekers, storytellers and artistic creators to share photos, videos and blogs sharing their experience in Dubai. The new global campaign features a series of six short trailer films across different genres and shares a cinematic overview of Dubai’s locations, inviting travelers from around the world to visit the Emirate. 

DTCMs City Briefing 2021

The DTCM held its first bi-annual ‘City Briefing’ for 2021 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, highlighting the sector’s promising performance since the reopening of the city to international tourists. The forum hosted over 1,000 key executives from leading establishments in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors. 

Dubai Tourism & EXPO 2020 Event

The forum highlighted the enormous significance of Dubai’s tourism sector and the gathering pace of recovery in the events sector including a detailed presentation on the Expo 2020 event which runs from 1st October 2021 to 31st March 2022, as well as insights into domestic and global developments and marketing campaigns worldwide aimed at reinforcing Dubai’s profile as a safe, must-visit destination and the world’s best city to live and work in.

Dubai Tourism Performance

Dubai has continued to lead global tourism recovery and has constantly set new precedents in how to safely yet effectively open the market for international travelers which resulted in an incremental increase in tourist arrivals month-on-month from the open destinations. It was estimated that more than 3.7 million international travelers visited Dubai between July 2020 – May 2021 period, leading to the tourism sector recovery in 2021. The current performance of Dubai’s tourism sectors is also a reflection of the crucial support extended by the stakeholders and partners of DTCM.

Despite the challenges during the pandemic period, Dubai Airport retained its position as the world’s busiest international airport for the seventh consecutive year with 26 million passengers visiting the Emirate in 2020. After having welcomed nearly six million passengers in Q1 2021, Dubai now looks set for a stable second quarter and the outlook for the second half of the year looks positive, primarily because of the seasonal travel rush and upcoming major international events including the Dubai Expo 2020, Dubai Airshow 2021 and UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations which will happen in Dubai. 

Dubai continues to be a preferred destination for travelers as the Emirate has adapted quickly to change – both of which have undoubtedly helped the hospitality and travel sector begin its journey to recovery. The re-opening of the city to international tourism last July certainly brought great opportunities for the hospitality industry and the Dubai government will continue to play an active role in supporting the tourism sector and ensuring that Dubai continues to be an attractive tourist destination among international travelers in the post-COVID-19 era. 


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Author: Waqas Siddiqui
I am passionate about supporting businesses in successfully expanding in the UAE and Gulf region. I can be reached at waqas@researchkonnection.com for research inquiries.