Dubai makes travel normal again

A sense of normalcy was first experienced here in the city, and there has been no looking back since then for this metropolis that hosts more than 200 nationalities

Published: Mon 8 Aug 2022, 8:08 PM

Dubai succeeded in establishing itself as a safe destination during the pandemic with its smart vaccination drive while effective testing, tracking and tracing infected individuals. Even during the worst of the health crisis, people felt safe in the city that is now building on its reputation as a healthy and safe metropolis for residents and visitors.

There’s safety in Dubai’s numbers, and the data from the last six months puts the city at the very top of the charts for being visitor-friendly.

Figures released by tourism officials show 7.1 million international travellers visited the city. More are on their way which spells good news for the hospitality and tourism sector.

The positive effect on the emirate’s economy as a whole bodes well for its expansion and growth prospects in the short and medium term.

Before the pandemic struck the world in 2020, the city was a beehive of activity with fairs and festivals and multiple attractions to visit. It was luring people from all over the world in record numbers for work, recreation, vacation and transit. It had built an exceptional airline in Emirates; Dubai International (DXB) was futuristic and was preparing to receive more people.

The effort paid off with more people flying out and into the city. But the pandemic hit in 2020 and the world came to a stop. However, it wasn’t easy to keep Dubai down for long. The city’s resilience was the key factor in its emerging with renewed vigor from the pandemic.

Dubai’s leadership knew that the worst would soon pass as they worked on a turnaround strategy to be up and running at the earliest when the coronavirus waves ebbed.

People joined in the efforts, and the rest, as they say, is history. This city’s resilience had come to the fore again when the chips were down. Soon, it was on the path to a strong recovery. The UAE’s vaccination drive was rolled out in late 2020, and Dubai became the first global city to reopen to global travellers after the pandemic.

A sense of normalcy was first experienced here in the city, and there has been no looking back since then for this metropolis that hosts more than 200 nationalities and that has cemented its place as a leading trade, aviation, shipping and technology hub.

Dubai was first off the block and is among the earliest to reap the benefits of normal travel as it leaves the laggards behind.

Expo2020 gave the city another boost and the momentum is being carried forward. The city wants to become the most-visited destination on earth. And it's getting there in a hurry, pandemic or not.