Dubai, Hamburg explore tourism synergies

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently released a study focused on opportunities for joint cooperation for Dubai and Hamburg. This cooperation would be in the areas of tourism, logistics, maritime and green cities. According to this study, Dubai has become one of the fastest growing destinations for traditional tourism activities such as shopping, leisure and business tourism in the region and the world. In recent years, Dubai tourism market expanded to include other segments of tourism sub-sector such as sport, eco, healthcare and cruise tourism. It is estimated that Dubai holds a 66% share of the UAE tourism economy. According to the World Bank, the UAE’s total international tourism receipt was about US$8.7 billion in 2012. While the total number of passenger arrivals to Dubai was about 2.6 million in November 2013, registering 10% year on year growth rate for the period November 2012-2013. Dubai hotel rooms’ occupancy rate has increased considerably during the past three years following the slowdown post the global financial crisis and economic downturn, registering an average 80% occupancy rate during 2013. Dubai Cruise tourism is rapidly growing with 135 cruises and 375,000 tourists visiting Dubai in 2011. By the end of 2012, Dubai was expected to host 150 cruises with 475,000 passengers. By 2015, these numbers are projected to grow by 30% and 35% respectively. Dubai’s tourism sector is expected to see double-digit growth rates. The winning of Expo 2020, along with other planned projects to develop the tourism sector in Dubai, provides a number of opportunities for foreign companies, especially from Hamburg, seeking to enter the Dubai market with their sustainable architecture, design, engineering and construction expertise. Source: Travel Daily