UAE tourism outlook: Demand for domestic experiences to grow more than ever

UAE tourism outlook: Demand for domestic experiences to grow more than ever

Bruno Trenchard, senior manager in the CBRE hospitality and leisure division noted that, as a result of the pandemic, people have been encouraged to explore local offerings instead of going abroad.“After several years of a relatively modest increase in demand, domestic tourism in the UAE has really picked up pace as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth is expected to accelerate in the coming years due to previously existing underlying market trends and market maturation,” he said.Currently, Dubai attracts nearly half (44 percent) of the tourism demand from UAE nationals, he noted. “Abu Dhabi benefits from its status as the country's capital city to attract 32 percent of UAE nationals and the northern emirates represent a smaller share of demand relying mostly on the sun and sea offering,” he added.According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), domestic tourism is more than six times bigger than international tourism, so those who have huge local markets are expected to emerge faster from the impact of the pandemic.“With travellers considering destinations closer to home in the early stage of travel normalisation and with still important travel restrictions in place for international travel as a consequence of COVID-19, countries with