Global hospitality players integral to Dubai tourism recovery

Dubai Tourism Chief Issam Kazim commended hotels for their contribution to developing strategies for the sector during the pandemic and said it was important to leverage efforts to attract more international visitors, especially benefiting from the Expo 2020 Dubai and the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations.

Expo 2020 Dubai, which was slated to open October 2020, opens this week after being postponed for a year to slow the spread of the pandemic.

Dubai’s hospitality sector – like those around the world – was hit hard by Covid-19, but the sector is on the fast track to recovery, with hotels hitting 62 percent occupancy in the first half of 2021.

“We are also heartened by the commitment of our stakeholders and partners like Marriott International to stay the course and convey to the world that Dubai remains open and safe for global travellers. We are proud of the enormous contribution hotels have made with their own strategies and initiatives in the true spirit of collaboration during these extraordinary circumstances, and we are also grateful to their support in ensuring that the industry enjoys continued success,” Kazim said.

The Emirates outperformed other global tourism destinations in the first half, including China (where hotels reached 54 percent occupancy), US (45 percent), Mexico (38 percent), the United Kingdom (37 percent), and Turkey (36 percent).

“Dubai has done a remarkable job in building the confidence of travellers and continues to be one of the most sought-after destinations in the world,” Sandeep Walia, chief operating officer, Middle East, Marriott International said. “The demand trends in Dubai have been positive and we’ve seen our hotels in this market perform particularly well over the past year.  We know that all signs show there is a huge pent-up demand for travel and we believe Dubai will continue to be a top destination for tourism, especially with the upcoming Expo 2020.”