The UAE has been successful in containing the spread of Covid 19, thanks to the untiring efforts of the government. And now, the country has also reaped its fruit for all the hard work. The UAE tourism sector performed outstandingly in 2020 despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel in UAE was among the least affected and fastest to recover around the world, so much so that hotels in UAE were ranked the world’s second busiest after China in 2020.
UAE Recorded 54% Occupancy & Hosted 14.8 Million Guests
According to official statistics issued by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) and the Emirates Tourism Council (ETC), the UAE recorded a 54.7% hotel occupancy rate in 2020, hosting14.8 million guests with an average of 3.7 nights per guest at 1,089 establishments.
The statistics further revealed that hospitality establishments welcomed 14.8 million guests in 2020, who spent 54.2 million nights in 1,089 different establishments that provided approximately 180,000 rooms. This brings the average stay to 3.7 nights per guest, with returns of AED 318.5 per room. Meanwhile, domestic tourism contributed AED 41 billion to the national economy last year – a figure that is expected to double in the upcoming few years.
Study From The Statistics
Statistics also revealed that the UAE suffered the least in terms of tourist traffic in 2020, where activity fell by just 45.2% – the lowest drop in the world. The UAE was followed by Mexico, where tourist traffic decreased by 52%, then Italy (63%), Germany (69%), Turkey (73%), Saudi Arabia (76% ), the USA (77%), Spain (78%), the UK (82%), and Thailand (83%).
The next stage of the tourism sector’s rebound will include further initiatives aiming to maintain the its strong performance and boost recovery, said Mr Al Falasi, chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council and Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises.
The UAE’s ‘Most Beautiful Winter in the World’ campaign, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, attracted nearly a million domestic tourists and created AED 1bn in revenue. “The tourism sector’s accomplishments over the past year are a result of the notable efforts made by all relevant parties to promote the sector at the federal and local levels,” Mr Al Falasi said.
The tourism sector’s accomplishments over the past year are a result of the notable efforts made by all relevant parties to promote the sector at the federal and local levels. This is in addition to the proactive measures the UAE implemented to deal with the outbreak and minimise its impact on public health. UAE authorities actively encouraged widespread testing for infections, leading the world in the number of tests performed as a percentage of the total population. The preventive measures established a sense of reassurance and helped create a safe environment to welcome tourists.