The annual report from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, "Dubai Tourism," indicated that despite the broader impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global travel, Dubai welcomed 5.51 million visitors in 2020. This highlights the emirate's position as one of the most popular and best family holiday destinations in the world, as it accounted for 1.44% of all global travelers last year, up from 1.14% in 2019 and 1.12% in 2018. The report, which "Emirates Today" obtained a copy of, noted that Dubai's proactive approach to combating the threats posed by the COVID-19 pandemic for international travelers reflected an impressive performance for the tourism and hospitality sector in 2020 compared to other destinations globally. Dubai's share of the global travel market increased during the pandemic year (2020), underscoring the success of world-class safety measures designed to protect travelers, which instilled confidence for them to visit the city when it reopened to international tourists on July 7.
Growth
The report stated that between 2012 and 2015, the number of tourists visiting Dubai grew at a compound annual growth rate of 9%, compared to the global average of 5% for the same period. It added that from 2012 to 2019, the number of visitors to Dubai increased at a compound annual growth rate of 6%, compared to a 5% compound annual growth rate globally.
Attraction
The report pointed out that while many destinations remained closed to international travel last year, Dubai moved forward to reopen its tourism and hospitality sector in the second half of the year, making it an attractive destination for tourists and business travelers seeking a safe haven from the pressures caused by the pandemic in their home countries. It mentioned that data on tourists arriving in Dubai highlighted the emirate's resilience during a period coinciding with the rapid spread of the pandemic worldwide. In January, as the number of travelers decreased by 1% globally compared to 2019, Dubai saw an 11% year-on-year increase in incoming tourists. In February, the emirate recorded a marginal decline of 3% year-on-year in arrivals, compared to a significant decline of 16% globally, according to "Dubai Tourism" data.
Success
The report noted that with the implementation of measures designed to protect visitors, the success of Dubai's tourism recovery strategy was showcased in the fourth quarter of 2020. This emphasized relatively strong performance compared to other destinations worldwide during this time. By December 2020, monthly visitor numbers to Dubai had recovered year-on-year to be down only 67% from 2019 levels, compared to the global average decline of 85%. It pointed out that replicating this figure across the entire results of 2020, where the total number of visitors to Dubai also decreased by 67% compared to the global average drop of 74%, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the incoming tourism in Dubai again outperformed the global tourism average.
Popular Destination
The report confirmed that Dubai once again proved its popularity as one of the best family holiday destinations in the world during 2020, noting that families and couples represented 75% of the 5.51 million international visitors who came to the emirate last year. Furthermore, 74% of all travelers who visited Dubai in 2020 did so for leisure purposes, highlighting the success of the emirate's international marketing strategy showcasing family-friendly attractions. This trend also highlighted the impact of Dubai offering new visa initiatives to tourists, including five-year multiple-entry visas for visitors from all nationalities.
Increase in Average Length of Stay Across Visitor Categories
The annual report from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai mentioned that leisure travelers chose to stay longer in Dubai last year, with their average length of stay increasing to 7.5 days, up from 6.1 days in 2019. Business travelers, who accounted for 12% of all visitors to Dubai in 2020, stayed in the city 55% longer compared to 2019 (7.3 days versus 4.7 days). The overall average length of stay across all visitor categories rose to 9.7 days in 2020, compared to eight days in 2019. It highlighted that this overall trend underscores Dubai's international standing as a safe haven from the pandemic, along with its commitment to ensuring key attractions remained safely open throughout most of the year, consistent with 2019 trends. It noted that women constituted 48% of all visitors to the emirate, while the number of solo travelers as a percentage of the total number of visitors increased from 12% in 2019 to 15% in 2020.
