Dubai tourist numbers to hit 10mn by 2010

TOURISM GROWTH: DTCM said the number of tourists visiting Dubai would increase to 10 million by 2010. (Getty Images)

The number of tourists flooding to Dubai is expected to shoot up to 10 million by 2010, compared to seven million last year, Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said on Tuesday.

DTCM, part of the Department of Tourism Commerce and Marketing, said the number of hotels and hotel apartments was expected to rise to 488 in the next two years, compared to 452 in 2007, with the number of hotel rooms climbing to 64,179 in 2010 from 51,168 last year.

"We are on track to move Dubai up the ladder on the global tourism map, and continue to provide direction to consolidate the emirate's position as the tourism hub not just of the region but of the world," Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem, DTCM director general, said in a statement.

Dubai has a target of attracting 15 million tourists to the emirate by 2015.

DTCM's projections follow the publication of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority's (ADTA) five-year plan, under which the authority plans to increase the number of hotel rooms in the emirate to 25,000 by the end of 2012 to cope with a projected 2.7 million annual tourists.

RELATED: No competition with Dubai for tourism cash - Abu Dhabi

Currently Abu Dhabi has around 12,000 available hotel room and 1.4 million tourists visiting the UAE capital annually.

Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi are investing billions of dollars in their tourism developments, with Dubai accounted for $381.4 billion of projects in the region either planned or underway, while its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi accounted for $131.3 billion, according to think tank Fast Future and Global Futures and Foresight (GFF).

RELATED: $1tn being pumped into leisure industry

Development within the UAE are being led by state-owned real estate giant Tatweer, which is developing projects worth 131.3 billion, and Abu Dhabi's Aldar Properties, which has $71.1 billion worth of developments in the pipeline, GFF said.

The largest tourism development in the UAE is Tatweer's $110 billion Dubailand development, GFF said.

However, the UAE also faces challenges in hitting its tourism targets due to a lack of natural and cultural resources and bureaucracy, the World Economic Forum said earlier this year.

RELATED: UAE tourism competitiveness plummets

In its Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) Report 2008, the World Economic Forum said the UAE had seen a drop in the competitiveness of its travel and tourism industry.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Dubai = Tourism?
Posted by Ahmed, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 13 May 2008 at 11:11 UAE time


Maybe I am missing something - besides wondering the Mall of the Emirates looking at items that are cheaper back home, quick 2 hour ski on the Snow Dome (bored after 1 hour), Wild Wadi (+1 hour lines after 1400) maybe visiting a souk or "old Dubai" what is there to do here? Too hot in the day from May - Sept, Rain in the Feb and cold from Nov - Feb. Do I miss something?

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