Dubai is ready to welcome everyone as tourism is gradually recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic following a successful vaccine rollout earlier this year.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, shared an open invitation to deliver a clear message that the emirate is open for safe business and responsible tourism.
“We welcome everyone to Dubai, where the world's tourism recovery begins. Here, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel that humanity has passed through during the past year and a half,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted as the 28th edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) began on Sunday.
Over 60 countries are taking part in the biggest tourism event of its kind since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Emirates airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group, inaugurated the four-day event at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
About 1,300 exhibitors from 62 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the US, are attending the Middle East’s premier exhibition for travel and tourism.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, also shared a positive message at the ATM and said Covid vaccine passports are the only way to restart mass international travel.
“I don’t think there is an alternative,” Griffiths told the BBC.
Dubai International Airport, which represents around 27 per cent of Dubai's GDP and 21 per cent of the employment in Dubai, ranked first for international passenger numbers last year despite the airport witnessing a 70.1 per cent dip in traffic, as more than 25 million global travellers passed through in 2020 compared to over 86 million in 2019.
Helal Saeed Al Marri, director-general of Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said the emirate has shown remarkable resilience in dealing with the pandemic.
“With the number of Covid-19 cases stabilising, due to high vaccination rates and some of the highest testing rates in the world, we can expect to see further easing of restrictions in Dubai in the near future,” he added.
— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com
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