Dubai Tourism Annual Visitor Report 2020

Foreword

In a year marred by pandemic-driven volatility, 2020 forced the world into an unpredictable ‘pause’ – oscillating between peaks of uncertainty, and troughs of human loss. Yet, despite being subject to what remains undeniably amongst the worst of our times, Dubai was anything but a silent spectator. As a city committed to global citizenship, 2020 presented an opportunity for the Emirate to epitomise this philosophy – starting with its own exemplary management of the health and wellbeing of its society, to actively aiding Covid-19 containment and relief measures for the international community. Throughout this period, Dubai’s resilience received global acclaim as it delicately balanced the sustenance of lives and livelihoods. Refining its approach real-time demonstrating uncompromised efficacy in safeguarding both visitors and residents, it became the first city to reopen and welcome the world.

While all sectors of the global economy suffered the inevitable consequences of the pandemic, tourism witnessed the most sudden decimation, with many cities continuing to experience prolonged lockdowns to date. Despite international travel being dramatically hamstrung in 2020, Dubai’s share of the global market rose by 0.3 percent YOY – the only city to register a positive spike, when international tourism declined by 74%. This achievement was testament to Dubai’s undeniable consideration as one of the world’s safest and top priority destinations for international, leisure and business tourism.

The strategic measures that collectively yielded Dubai’s performance were consequence of its successful approach to strict pandemic curtailment – (a) immediate healthcare for the affected; (b) aggressive prevention for the vulnerable; and (c) mass vaccination programmes for the exposed. The immediacy and the agility with which the city’s entire governmental, public and private sector ecosystems came together to respond, not just momentarily but consistently throughout the year, ensured health and safety remained a priority at every human touchpoint within the Emirate’s borders. This foundation allowed Dubai to not only open rapidly, but also remain open thereafter in the face of resurgent waves of the pandemic that have plagued the world, forcing many other destinations to remain closed to visitors.

Post ensuring its ability to protect people within its environment, came the role of inspiring the world to regain optimism about life and travel – both of which, were enabled by Dubai Tourism’s highly effective, innovative communications strategy, which focused on encouraging the global community to envision a brighter tomorrow. ‘Till We Meet Again’, ‘Ready When You Are’ and ‘Live Your Story’ went beyond the zeitgeist of 2020, to keep Dubai foremost in the minds of millions, enabling them to be buoyed by the reality of an imminent return to normalcy. These campaigns were timed with precision so that Dubai was able to hit the ground running when international travel to the city officially resumed on 7 July, fuelling accelerated recovery of its tourism and hospitality sectors through the remainder of the year.

Credibly supporting the communication pillar, the stellar DUBAI ASSURED Covid-19 safety compliance programme lended much needed confidence in the city’s ability to protect the health of all visitors, as it reopened its borders. The landmark initiative received overwhelming support from all industry stakeholders, with inspection reports revealing nearly 99 per cent compliance with prescribed protocols within the first two months of deployment.

In addition to its status as one of the safest destinations on the planet, 2020 saw Dubai deliver a host of world-firsts that will undeniably be the benchmark for future global events and travel. Setting the template for ‘pandemic-proofed’ events, Dubai hosted AI Everything in July, the first live in-person business conference to announce the restart of the global MICE sector amid the pandemic. The decisive nod it received from the world business community was symbolic of the confidence Dubai managed to instil, garnering their commitment to engage with the city’s events calendar. This affirmation allowed for a pursuant series of major trade events during the second half of 2020, wrapping the year on a high with the phenomenally successful GITEX Technology Week, that led on to Gulfood in 2021 – making Dubai the only city in the world to host two mega expositions during this period.

Looking ahead, the consistency in delivery and the superlative success with which the Emirate has managed both its tourism and events industries, underlined global endorsement of the city’s readiness to officially inaugurate Expo 2020 Dubai on 1 October 2021. The upcoming event – the largest of its kind ever to be staged in the Arab world – will further showcase Dubai’s indomitable spirit to achieve the impossible, transforming itself into the world’s #1 innovation hub, creating an indelible legacy for all humanity. These aspirational goals are also encapsulated in the 2040 Urban Master Plan, which was recently launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The future-defining sustainable development strategies outlined therein, call for a measured expansion of Dubai’s tourism and hospitality verticals, complementing holistic efforts to make the city the world’s most-visited destination in the near future.

As we stand today and take stock of the year gone by, we acknowledge each and every partner within Dubai’s tourism, events and hospitality ecosystem for their vital support through one of the most challenging periods on record. It is this spirit of symbiotic partnership that remains at the heart of our journey to making Dubai the world’s #1 tourism destination, as we look beyond this present moment in time.

Download the full analysis below covering topics including:

• 2040 Urban Master Plan
• Expo 2020 Dubai
• Covid-19 Response
• 2020 Summary timeline
• Dubai 2020 performance and tourism outlook
• Top 20 source markets for visitors to Dubai
• Visitor trends
• Domestic tourism
• Hotel industry performance
• Marketing and events
• Media coverage
• Business marketing
• Festivals and events
• Business evens