Dubai reports rise in overnight visitors
Dubai has reported 14.9 million overnight visitors in 2016, a 5% increase over 2015.
Figures from Dubai Tourism show an 8% compound annual growth rate in visitors between 2012-2016 since the emirate launched its 2020 tourism strategy.
Nearly 1.25 million visitors came from the UK, which kept its position as Dubai’s number three market, following the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) and Western Europe.
"Dubai has continued to grow its share of outbound travel market despite three of its largest source markets witnessing unique disruptions, coupled with debilitating international factors and a cautious global consumer sentiment that characterised 2016," said a statement from Dubai Tourism.
As part of a focus on the family and midmarket sector, 2016 saw a significant boost in the number of properties in the three and four-star range.
Three-star hotel room capacity rose 24% while four-star capacity grew by 8%.
Last year also saw the opening of attractions like IMG Worlds of Adventure, the world’s largest indoor theme park, and Dubai Parks and Resorts, the region’s largest integrated theme park resort.
Additionally, 2016 witnessed the opening of Dubai Opera and CITY WALK, the city’s trendiest new retail destination.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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