Expo visitors over 18 must be vaccinated
NON-VACCINATED GUESTS CAN GET FREE TEST ONSITE
As the UAE prepares to welcome millions of visitors to Expo 2020 Dubai — the largest global gathering since the start of the pandemic — organisers yesterday announced enhanced entry measures to ensure a safe and exceptional event.
Visitors aged 18 and above will be required to present proof of any vaccine recognised by their government, or a negative result of a PCR test taken within the previous 72 hours.
Non-vaccinated ticketholders not tested within this period can take a test at a facility near the Expo site.
Network of test centres
Moving forward, the Expo 2020 Dubai website will direct visitors to a network of testing centres across the city. The PCR test will be free for holders of a valid Expo ticket or pass.
Vaccination is already mandatory for staff, volunteers, contractors and service providers. Onsite sanitisation stations, mandatory masks and two-metre social distancing will be maintained.
Reem Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “The UAE continues to drive the global tourism recovery. We are enabling the world to experience Expo 2020’s incredible offerings in a safe manner.”
Covid cases in UAE drop 84% in past eight months
“We have seen a decline of nearly 84 per cent in Covid-19 cases in the past eight months. Enhanced vaccination and testing measure is responsible, agile and necessary as we prepare to open our doors to the world.” The UAE has administered almost 19 million doses and fully immunised 80 per cent of its population.
Dimitri Kerkentzes, secretary-general of (BIE), the governing body of World Expos, said: “The enhanced requirements strengthen the Expo’s goal of bringing everyone back together to join the making of a new world.”
The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is building on the current industry momentum by ramping up its international marketing campaign to drive further awareness of Dubai as a must-visit destination with a focus on next month’s Expo 2020.
At a series of in-person networking events held last week in the key markets of United Kingdom, Russia and the United States, Dubai Tourism also shared its positive industry outlook with partners and leading media organisations.
Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Tourism, said: “Aligned with the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VicePresident and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, we have increased our global marketing activities to reinforce the message that Dubai has completely regained its vibrancy and is the first choice destination for global travellers.
“As Dubai continues to safely welcome international tourists, we are pleased to engage with the media and our partners in key markets in cooperation with Expo 2020 to raise awareness of the region’s first World Expo and the unique destination proposition. We received encouraging feedback from participants at the recent engagements overseas, as we intensify efforts to attract more visitors from all of our strategic markets that are open,” Kazim said.
“With the industry registering steady growth in the first seven months of 2021, we are confident that together with our partners we can collectively leverage the prevailing optimism to further accelerate momentum during this landmark year of Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee,” he added.
We are confident that together with our partners we can collectively leverage the prevailing optimism to further accelerate momentum during this landmark year of Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee.”
Issam Kazim | CEO of Dubai Tourism
Hotel occupancy
Latest data from Dubai Tourism shows that the city welcomed close to 3 million visitors from January to July 2021. Dubai also ranked second globally ahead of London and Paris in terms of hotel occupancy with hotels enjoying 61 per cent average occupancy levels in the first seven months of 202.