The authority responsible for the operation and development of Dubai International Airport, one of
the busiest airports in the world for international passengers, said that a significant increase in the
number of tourists from China had encouraged the recovery of the aviation industry.
“We have had an extraordinary first half of 2023 and exceeded pre-pandemic figures. We are
targeting to handle around 87 million passengers by the end of this year, which is around 2 million
less than pre-pandemic numbers,” said Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dubai
Airports , told Xinhua at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit held in the
Rwandan capital, Kigali, on November 1-3 2023.
The summit carries the theme “Building Bridges for the Future Sustainable Future” ( Building
Bridges to a Sustainable Future ) and co-hosted by the Rwanda Development Council, bringing
together thousands of industry leaders, experts and government representatives to drive the
industry’s growth and its transition towards a safer, more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future.
The growth in passenger numbers was largely driven by the increasing number of Chinese tourists
visiting Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Griffiths said.
According to data from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, the country received 11.1
million overnight tourists from January to August. China ranks as the seventh largest tourist source
market for Dubai, with 392,000 tourists arriving in the first eight months of 2023.
When asked about new initiatives and incentives for tourists from China, Griffiths said “the good
thing is that in Dubai, there are always projects being developed . We plan to serve a wider range
of interests, which will appeal to Chinese tourists.”
Steps to attract more Chinese tourists include offering “wider entertainment options, improved
hospitality, increased waterfront capacity, as well as improvements to airport infrastructure,” he
said.”We plan to expand existing airports, with the hope of accommodating around 120 million
passengers over the next ten years, and we believe much of that growth will come from China,”
added Griffiths.
Source : Antara
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