DUBAI SAYS MARHABA TO 8.36M

Dubai welcomed 8.36 million international overnight visitors in the first six months (January-June) of 2019, posting a three per cent growth in tourism volume compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

997,000 Number of Indians in H1, 2019 10% Rise in share of Indian families with children to 34%

755,000 Number of Saudi visitors, 2% y-on-y growth

586,000 Number of travellers from the UK, up 3%

501,000 Chinese visitors, a stellar 11% growth

499,000 Omani visitors, a massive 28% growth

375,000 Visitors make Russia sixth largest source market

329,000 Tourists mark a marginal rise in US traffic

316,000 German tourists, 5% growth

253,000 Visitors from Pakistan, 3% rise

216,000 Travellers from the Philippines mark a whopping 29% rise

Tourism is one of the cornerstones of Dubai’s diversified economic growth, and we measure success based on our ability to aggressively advance towards our goal to be the number one most visited and most preferred city Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, Dubai Tourism

dubai — Dubai welcomed 8.36 million international overnight visitors in the first six months of 2019, a 3 per cent growth in tourism volume compared to the year-ago period, according to the latest data from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).

Helal Saeed Almarri, directorgeneral of Dubai Tourism, said: “Tourism is one of the cornerstones of Dubai’s diversified economic growth, and we measure success based on our ability to aggressively advance towards our goal to be the No.1 most-visited and most-preferred city.”

India once again led the pack, drawing the highest half-year volumes with 997,000 visitors, followed by Saudi Arabia with

755,000, a 2 per cent growth with a notable 4.9 per cent increase over the Eid Al Fitr break alone.

Manvendra Naha Roy, head of online supply at HolidayME, said: “Dubai is a city of superlatives and has been very successful in creating what is known as a ‘socialgenic’ experience... the exchange in terms of food, culture, tradition and connection with people is the intrinsic reason for its success.”

The UK delivered 586,000 travellers, despite a significantly devalued pound amidst growing political and economic turbulences surrounding Brexit.

Over 501,000 Chinese visitors arrived, an 11 per cent year-on-year growth. Oman catapulted into the top five with a 28 per cent growth to land 499,000 visitors to Dubai. Russia was sixth with 375,000.

The US, Germany and Pakistan followed with 329,000, 316,000 and 253,000, respectively. The Philippines jumped three ranks into the top 10 with 216,000, reflecting a 29 per cent increase that made it the fastest-growing source market for Dubai this year.

We measure success based on our ability to aggressively advance towards our goal to be the No.1 most-visited and most-preferred city Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-general of Dubai Tourism