Tourism contributes 31% of Dubai’s GDP

Dubai’s tourism figures are at an all-time high as new figures reveal that the sector contributed 31 per cent of the emirate’s GDP in 2011.

The number of visitors to Dubai is expected to rise 10 per cent this year, according to figures released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

Speaking to the media at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market, DTCM Director-General Khalid A bin Sulayem said: “Dubai’s tourism figures are very promising with the emirate hosting 9.3 million hotel guests and cruise passengers in 2011, which was up 10 per cent from the previous year. This contributed to 31 per cent of Dubai’s GDP last year.”

Meanwhile, guest nights rose 23 per cent to 32,848,190 while the average length of stay went up by 12 per cent to 3.6 days last year.

Dubai's 575 hotels generated revenues of Dhs16 billion last year, an increase of 20 per cent from 2010. The year saw a five per cent increase in the number of hotel rooms and hotel apartments which stood at 53,828 rooms and 21,015 hotel flats respectively.

DTCM also announced that it will be introducing to the tourism industry the new hotel classification checklists for all categories as part of the new classification scheme but no date was given.

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