ZCZC
BCN-05
UAE-DUBAI-TOURISM-ECONOMY
Dubai sees slight tourism rise in 2018
DUBAI, Feb 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Dubai welcomed a record 15.92 million
tourists in 2018, the tourism authority said Sunday, but the rise was
marginal due to drops in visitors from the Gulf, India and Britain.
The number of international visitors last year grew by just 0.8 percent,
far below the five percent and six percent rises in 2016 and 2017
respectively, Dubai Tourism said.
But the emirate remains “focused on ensuring that (it) becomes the number
one most visited city in the world”, said Dubai Tourism chief Saeed al-Marri
in a statement.
Declines in the numbers of Gulf tourists, mainly from Oman and Qatar, and
among Indian and British visitors were balanced out by upticks in the number
of Chinese and Russians.
The drop in Gulf visitors comes after the United Arab Emirates along with
three other Arab countries in June 2017 boycotted GCC member Qatar.
By country, Indian tourists came in first place with two million despite a
slight drop from the previous year, followed by Saudis who increased
marginally to 1.6 million.
Britons came in third with 1.2 million tourists.
Chinese tourists rose by 12 percent to 857,000 and Russians visitors
increased by 28 percent to 678,000.
The city-state, one of seven sheikhdoms that make up the UAE, aims to
attract 20 million visitors annually by 2020 when it hosts the six-month
global trade fair Expo 2020.
Boasting the most diversified economy in the region, Dubai became a
favourite tourist attraction in recent years due to its safety following
turmoil in the Middle East.
The desert emirate has a large number of world class opulent shopping
malls, luxury resorts and even an indoor ski resort.
BSS/AFP/HR/0918