Dubai: The UAE’s tourism sector has witnessed a number of achievements in 2013.
The UAE has become a major destination for leisure, MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions,) as well as VFR tourism (visiting friends and relatives).
Visitors to Dubai grew by 9.8 per cent in the first nine months of the year to reach 7.9 million visitors compared to the same time in 2012.
In terms of hotel openings, the city saw the opening of JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, Conrad Dubai, the Oberoi, and Novotel Al Barsha, among others. Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) expects around 35 additional hotels by 2015.
Abu Dhabi, too, is enhancing its offerings to visitors, with the opening of Yas Waterworld this year, Louvre Abu Dhabi in Saadiyat Cultural District in 2015 and Zayed National Museum in 2016.
Meanwhile, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah are positioning themselves as centres for heritage and culture, while Sharjah is becoming a religious and cultural destination.
