Dubai surpasses pre-pandemic international tourism levels in H1 2023

Dubai surpasses pre-pandemic international tourism levels in H1 2023

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Dubai’s tourism industry is celebrating a successful first half of 2023, after welcoming a record 8.55 million international overnight visitors. This is the emirate’s best tourism first-half performance since 2019 which had seen 8.36 million tourists in the first half of the year, reported state news agency WAM.

The tourism numbers were released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) which said the performance is a 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY) visitation growth.

The tourism numbers underscore Dubai’s position as the fastest recovering destination globally, and far exceeds the projection made by the United Nations World Trade Organisation that international tourist arrivals could reach between 80-95 percent of pre-pandemic levels this year, noted DET.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, said, “The remarkable surge in international visitors witnessed by Dubai in the first half of 2023 further demonstrates its emergence as one of the brightest spots not only in the worldwide tourism sector but also the broader global economic landscape. This accomplishment has been made possible by the foresight of Dubai’s leadership, whose vision and prudent polices fortified its resilience in the wake of global challenges and