Tourist spending to jump by Dh50 bn in next 10 years

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), International traveller spending in Dubai will remain strong over the next 10 years, jumping by Dh50 billion.

The spending by tourists will jump by over 46 per cent to nearly $43 billion (Dh158 billion) by 2032, as compared to $29.4 billion (Dh108 billion) at the end of 2022, as the emirate’s tourism sector is set to expand on the back of government initiatives to attract more foreign visitors to the emirate.

In 2022, Dubai was the highest recipient of tourist spending among all the cities. However, it’s projected to be the third highest recipient of tourist spending in 2032 after Hong Kong ($52 billion) and Macau ($43.1 billion).

According to Dubai Economy and Tourism, Dubai welcomed 12.82 million overnight visitors in January-November 2022, with the highest number of international guests from India at 1.6 million.

The Council said, “As borders reopened, many leisure travellers swapped city visits for less-populated destinations such as coastal and rural destinations, but latest research from WTTC shows that city holidays are back and growing in popularity.”