New visas, Dubai landmarks: 3 reasons why tourism is booming in the Emirate

New visas, Dubai landmarks: 3 reasons why tourism is booming in the Emirate

The city received 14.36 million visitors in 2022, while hotels recorded an average occupancy of 73 per cent

Published: Sun 5 Feb 2023, 6:25 PM Last updated: Sun 5 Feb 2023, 6:31 PM

Tourism in Dubai is booming, and how! According to the latest statistics released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the Emirate is closing in on its pre-Covid visitor numbers.

The Emirate received 14.36 million visitors in 2022, while hotels recorded 73 per cent average occupancy. There are multiple factors that drove Dubai’s tourism success last year.

1. New visas, entry procedures

Dubai continues to unveil strong regulatory initiatives to promote the growth of the tourism sector. Hassle-free entry procedures for business and leisure travellers include a 60-day tourist visa available from September 2022, and a five-year multi-entry visa for employees of multinational companies. The city also has a 10-year Golden Visa residency scheme, permits for virtual work, and retire in Dubai programmes.

In 2022, Dubai was selected as one of 20 destinations globally under Airbnb’s Live and Work Anywhere initiative to identify the world’s most remote worker-friendly destinations.

2. New landmarks, attractions

In 2022, a number of new attractions and initiatives were launched. These include the Museum of the Future, dubbed the most