New visas, Dubai landmarks: 3 reasons tourism is booming in the emirate – wknd.

The city welcomed 14.36 million visitors in 2022, while hotels recorded an average occupancy of 73%

Tourism in Dubai is booming, and how! According to the latest statistics released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the emirate is closing in on its pre-Covid visitor numbers.

The emirate welcomed 14.36 million visitors in 2022, while hotels recorded an average occupancy rate of 73%. Several factors contributed to Dubai’s tourism success last year.

Dubai continues to unveil strong regulatory initiatives to promote the growth of the tourism sector. Hassle-free entry procedures for business and leisure travelers include a 60-day tourist visa available from September 2022 and a five-year multiple-entry visa for employees of multinational companies. The city also has a 10-year Golden Visa residency program, virtual work permit and retirement programs in Dubai.

In 2022, Dubai was selected as one of 20 destinations worldwide as part of Airbnb’s Live and Work Anywhere initiative to identify the world’s most remote worker-friendly destinations.

In 2022, a number of new attractions and initiatives have been launched. These include the Museum of the Future, dubbed the most beautiful building in the world. Dubai also unveiled Expo City, the dynamic legacy of Expo 2020; and Atlantis The Royal, considered the most luxurious resort in the world.

Dubai has launched global campaigns in collaboration with regional and international celebrities, opinion leaders, influencers and community figures. One such campaign is Dubai Presents, which takes a new approach to global destination marketing, using a highly stylized cinematic approach to create engaging content. Shot against the backdrop of some of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks and unique hidden locations, these shorts feature Hollywood stars like Jessica Alba and Zac Efron. The global ‘Where the World Celebrates’ campaign which coincided with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar featured French soccer star Karim Benzema.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Managing Director of DET, said the effectiveness of Dubai’s strategies and initiatives “gives us the confidence to pursue new growth opportunities in the global travel and business sectors over the coming decades.” .

“As the fastest growing city in the Middle East, Dubai’s continued growth has been made possible through the unwavering support of our stakeholders and partners and a series of strategic investments and federal policy reforms that have leads to a constant flow of global entrepreneurs, talents, investors and business and leisure travelers.

“We will continue to accelerate momentum throughout 2023 and beyond by focusing on all the key elements that have positioned Dubai as the world’s leading travel destination – a diverse approach to markets, a destination proposition evolving multi-faceted, ongoing collaboration with our partners, all of whom have enabled us to deliver exceptional value to visitors around the world.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said the “sheer diversity” of the destination proposition and Dubai’s growing profile as a safe, open and accessible destination resulted in the city being chosen. as the world’s No. 1 destination for the second consecutive year, at the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2023.

“The exceptional support of our public and private sector stakeholders and partners will be instrumental in increasing our ability to showcase our unparalleled offering, designed to meet the diverse preferences and budgets of international travellers, as we prepare to welcome more visitors to Dubai in 2023.”