The Dubai Ministry of Economy and Tourism (DET) announced that 14.36 million people visited Dubai in 2022. In 2021, the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors to Dubai was 7.28 million.
The ministry added that the figure, which surpasses the level of global tourism recovery, is in line with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 that aims to double the size of Dubai's economy by making it one of the world's top three tourist and business cities. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, said, "The record increase in Dubai visitors represents Dubai's status as a city connected to the world. It shows the leading tourism infrastructure and service levels and shows Dubai continuing to work tirelessly without being complacent about its current performance." Dubai, which attracted 16.73 million visitors in 2019, before Pandemic, became the second global destination in history and ranked No. 1 for two consecutive years in 2023.
According to the latest report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), global tourist travel in 2022 decreased by 37% compared to 2019.
Middle Eastern countries posted a relatively rapid increase compared to other regions, accounting for 83 percent of the number of pre-Pandamic visitors, with Dubai showing 86 percent of the figure, making it one of the fastest countries to recover.
"While the global economy remains in flux, Dubai has become a clear leader in the tourism industry," said Almari, director of the Dubai Ministry of Economy and Tourism. The results show that tourism is an important factor in economic growth and sustainable development as proof that Dubai is at the forefront of global tourism recovery," he said.
In terms of the nationality of Dubai visitors, visitors from Western Europe and the GCC region accounted for 21 percent, respectively, ranking first in the number of visitors.
In particular, the number of visitors to the GCC area increased significantly from 13% in 2021. In addition, 17% of visitors to South Asia, 12% to the Mena region, 7% to the Americas, 5% to North Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, respectively, and 2% to Australia.
Along with the increase in the number of visitors, the hotel sector, which is an essential area for the tourism industry, continued to be strong in all hospitality indicators. In 2022, the average share of hotels was 73%, up from 67% the previous year, the highest share in the world. This is slightly less than the 75% market share before Pandamic in 2019, showing almost a recovery in the market share sector. The total number of hotels in 2022 was 755, an increase of 6% compared to 2021, with a total of 137,950 rooms operating.
Another indicator of performance, along with hotel share, is the average guest stay, average daily room rate, and available per-room sales, which also recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Room occupancy in 2022 increased by 19% compared to 2021, up 17% from the pre-Pandamic period in 2019, to 32.11 million.
Another factor that contributed to Dubai's achievements in 2022 is a variety of celebrity-led campaigns. Various campaigns were conducted led by local and international celebrities, opinion leaders, influencers, and community figures. In particular, one of the campaign events, "Dubai Presents," has applied new filming techniques and has shown Dubai's landmarks and hidden attractions along with Hollywood stars such as Jessica Alba and Zack Efron.
The biggest success of 2022 was the "2020 Dubai Expo." The Mega Global event, which attracted 24 million visitors in six months, was successfully concluded. In addition, Dubai hosted various events such as Gulf Food, World Government Summit, Binance Blockchain Week, Gitex Global Dubai, International Boat Show, and Arabian Travel Market, showing Dubai's ability to host business and leisure events.
As another event that attracts visitors, Dubai has hosted the internationally famous Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai Food Festival, Dubai Summer Surprise, and Dubai Fitness Challenge every year. [Gulf Korean Times]