Dubai reinforces its position as one of the most open cities post-pandemic

The Arabian Travel Market was a four-day event that brought together 23,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from up to 150 countries in Dubai, double the number of visitors of the previous year, making the country one of the most open cities post-pandemic.

Dubai has emerged in recent years as one of the most popular destinations for business, tourism and events, due to, among other factors, the country's strong economic growth and the successful management of the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, making it one of the safest cities in which to travel. According to a report, Dubai welcomed almost 4 million international visitors between January and March 2022. This represents a 214% growth over last year and consolidates its position as one of the preferred destinations for travellers of all nationalities. In addition, the Emirati city ranks first in hotel occupancy during the first three months of 2022, with 82%.

The massive influx of tourists has kept Dubai International (DXB) as the world's busiest airport by passenger volume for the eighth consecutive month. Recording an annual passenger traffic of 29.1 million in 2021. Despite the pandemic, Dubai International has also achieved its busiest quarter since 2020, with a total passenger figure of 13.6 million.

Dubai is one of the seven Arab Emirates and is located in the Gulf, which makes it an ideal destination for tourism. The Emirati city is known as "the shopping capital of the Middle East", as it not only has the world's largest shopping mall, the Dubai Mall, but also more than 70 shopping centres.

Shopping, culture and entertainment are some of the country's best-known attractions. Tourists, but also artists frequently come to the Emirate to enjoy or take part in the many shows Dubai has to offer. One example of Dubai's openness to the world is the Global Village Dubai, an event with attractions consisting of more than 40 pavilions from different countries dedicated to entertainment, which during its 26th season attracted 7.8 million visitors during the 194 days it was open to the public. 

In addition, the Dubai Food Festival and Dubai Summer Surprises in its 25th edition are expected to significantly increase visitor and tourist arrivals to Dubai.

The Emirate has an additional 12,000 restaurants and cafes and is a prime location for food events, attracting food lovers and the world's top-rated chefs, as well as renowned restaurants, street food and local eateries inspired by the more than 200 nationalities living in the Emirate.

Over the past year, Dubai has established itself as the world's leading destination for meetings, incentives and conferences. And it hosted a number of events that position it as a global business hub. According to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, the Emirati city has held a total of 120 events during 2021 and beyond that will bring together a total of 70,000 thought leaders, government officials and industry professionals.

Exhibitions are also an economic bonanza for Dubai. Expo 2020 Dubai has established itself as the largest event in the history of World Expos and managed to bring together up to 192 participating countries who joined in "Connecting Minds, Creating Futures" a meeting to unite culture, innovation and science.