Dubai to welcome 20 million international tourists by 2020

Photo Courtesy: IG/nuchienuchiee

Experts in the field estimate that by 2020 Dubai will welcome a whopping 20 million international tourists. With a host of tourist-friendly activities and developments, the Emirate is all set to welcome the globetrotters and has even exempted tourists from value-added tax recently.

Dubai recorded 15.8 million overnight visitors in 2017 – a 6.2 per cent increase from 2016, which was an all-time high number. Around 4.7 million international overnight visitors were recorded in the first quarter of 2018, registering a 2 per cent increase from the same period last year.

The UAE hospitality market is expected to reach $7.6 billion (£5.8 billion) by 2022, up from €5.1 billion (£3.9 million) in 2017. According to research by Bloomberg, Airbnb’s presence in Dubai continues to grow despite it being one of the most expensive rentals in the world. The emirate was fifth on a list for the most expensive rentals at an average rate of $185 (Dh680) a night, with Miami topping the list with an average rate of $205, followed by Boston, Reykjavik and Tel Aviv.

In Abu Dhabi, where they had a six per cent tourism fee for hotel rooms and outlets has been reduced to 3.5 per cent. The municipality fee was reduced from four per cent to two per cent, and the per room, per night hotel fee has gone down from Dh15 to Dh10.