Dubai is ready to welcome everyone as tourism gradually recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic following a successful launch of vaccines earlier this year.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, shared an open invitation to send a clear message that the emirate is open to safe business and responsible tourism.

“We welcome everyone to Dubai, where the global tourism recovery is beginning. Here we can see the light at the end of the tunnel through which humanity has passed for 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 participating in the largest tourism event of its kind since the Covid-19 outbreak.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of the Emirates Airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group, opened the four-day event at the Dubai World Trade Center.

Around 1,300 exhibitors from 62 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Cyprus, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Maldives, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and the USA, will visit the most important exhibition in the Middle East East for travel and tourism.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, also shared a positive message at the ATM, saying Covid vaccine passports are the only way to resume mass international traffic.

“I don’t think there’s an alternative,” Griffiths told the BBC.

Dubai International Airport, which accounts for around 27 percent of Dubai’s GDP and 21 percent of Dubai’s employment, took first place in international passenger numbers last year, despite the fact that the airport, with more than 25 million travelers worldwide, saw a 70.1 percent drop in traffic recorded in 2020 compared to over 86 million in 2019.

Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general of the Dubai Ministry of Tourism and Trade Marketing, said the emirate has shown remarkable resilience in dealing with the pandemic.

“As the number of Covid-19 cases stabilizes due to high vaccination rates and some of the highest testing rates in the world, we can expect further easing of restrictions in Dubai in the near future,” he added.

– muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com

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