How Dubai is paying the price for letting in tourists

How Dubai is paying the price for letting in tourists

Take a passing glance at Dubai

, and you may think life is back to normal. In recent weeks, the bustling city has been a sparkling attraction for tourists, especially from Europe, trying to escape the brutal winter and strict coronavirus lockdowns.

But as tens of thousands of visitors flocked there during its peak year-end season, the virus inevitably caught up with the city despite precautions aimed at limiting its spread. Cases began to rise, nearly quadrupling since November.

Even as Covid-19 gained a stronger foothold, the images out of Dubai “” particularly from the Instagram feeds of influencers or celebrities “” painted an image of a wide-open winter sun paradise.

For those back home in countries such as the UK, where most people are being told they cannot travel abroad because of the risk to health, these pictures caused consternation, drawing criticism of those enjoying themselves.

Furious reaction

For Danish tourist Emma Mathilde, who has frequently visited Dubai over the past few months, the backlash wasn't surprising.

"In Europe, everyone is locked at home, it's cold and it's gray,“ she says. "Dubai is the only place you can travel to, so everyone is going there. It's sunny, you can go out to eat, and that's why people get furious