Team Blitz India
DUBAI is among the most preferred tourist destinations in the world. Data suggests that it has been able to not only bounce back from the shadow of the pandemic but continue to attract record visitors.
In January 2024, Dubai welcomed 1.77 million overnight visitors, with an increase of 21 per cent compared to January 2023 (1.47 million), according to the Dubai Tourism Performance Report for January issued by the Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism this month.
Western Europe ranked first in terms of source markets for international tourists to Dubai with a share of over 18 per cent and a number of 327,000 visitors. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries followed with 311,000 visitors, representing nearly 18 per cent, and South Asia ranked third with 294,000, accounting for about 17 pc of the total international visitors to the emirate.
CIS, ENA visitors
The number of international visitors from Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eastern Europe reached 262,000 or 15 pc, ranking fourth, while the number from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region numbered 211,000 or 12 per cent of the total number of tourists coming to Dubai, ranking fifth.
North and Southeast Asia ranked sixth with 149,000 visitors and a share of 8 pc, followed by the Americas in seventh place with 115,000 people or about 6 pc of the total number of international visitors. Africa was in eighth place with 71,000 visitors representing 4 pc, and Australia thereafter with 33,000 visitors representing 2 pc of the total number of international visitors.
Data released earlier showed that last year, Dubai welcomed 17.15 million international overnight visitors. This marked a 19.4 per cent growth over the 14.36 million tourist arrivals in 2022, according to DET data.
Incidentally, last year’s data showed that India continued to be the top country to send the maximum number of international visitors from a single market. The number of Indian tourists thus contributed significantly to Dubai’s record-breaking tourism performance in 2023.
