Travel will ‘normalise soon’, says Dubai Tourism chief

Travel will ‘normalise soon’, says Dubai Tourism chief

Helal Al Marri explains safety protocols being followed in Dubai as tourists return.





Dubai is optimistic about travel "normalising" by winter as more countries are opening up, Helal Al Marri, Director-General of Dubai Tourism, said on Tuesday. In an interview with CNN, he said sentiments have changed from how it was six weeks ago when "everyone was under lockdown".

Helal Al Marri, Director General of @DubaiTourism, tells @CNN 'we're following the @WHO's advice, which is test, test, test,' and #Dubai is extensively applying this as the city welcomes back international tourists. pic.twitter.com/BbYVC8Hgtu

- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 7, 2020

"But today countries are opening up, albeit slowly. But I do expect a lot of countries to open up in the course of the summer. As we come into the fall and winter, travel will normalise," said Al Marri. "People still really want to go on a holiday. We can see that in the searches online and the demand."

This came as the first set of tourists landed in Dubai on Tuesday. Videos posted by the emirate's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) on Instagram show socially distanced travel procedures that are in place at the Dubai airport. The videos