Annual Visitor Report.pdf

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT2014

32 ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

INTRODUCTION

CONTENTS

ATTRACTING VISITORS 4-5STRATEGICALLY DIVERSIFIED VISITORS 6-7FLEXIBLE DESTINATION 8-9THE DUBAI VISITOR EXPERIENCE 10-11GEARING UP FOR SUSTAINED GROWTH 12-13METHODOLOGY AND KEY TERMS 14-15

FOREWORD

It gives me great pleasure to present Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (Dubai Tourism) 2014 Annual Visitor Report. A collation of key tourism metrics, trends and insights, this inaugural report demonstrates the strong strides that the tourism industry continues to make toward realising the Tourism Vision for Dubai of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. With the goal of welcoming 20 million annual visitors by 2020, and amplifying tourism impact on the Emirate’s GDP, Dubai Tourism comprehensively monitors performance across global demand and competitive intensity, the effectiveness and supply of our proposition, and our ability to deliver a rounded destination experience to leisure and business travellers.

This Annual Report reflects key milestones and achievements during 2014, marking the close of a positive 12-month period of programmes that has ensured we remain firmly on track to achieving our long-term target. This includes the headline statistic of 13.2 million international overnight visitors, a metric not previously measured and not to be confused with the 11.6 million hotel guests number announced earlier this year. Thanks to various strategic initiatives including policy reforms implemented in 2013-2014, last year saw sustained momentum in visitor growth from our key source markets, and healthy acceleration in many emerging feeder geographies. The breadth and depth of our destination proposition across various key audience segments has continued to evolve and diversify, and there are numerous new offerings in the pipeline, which will further augment Dubai’s attractiveness, ensuring the Emirate is poised to meet the needs of even the most discerning of future travellers to Dubai.

Heading into the second half of 2015, we continue to collaborate with our industry partners, building on the 2014 success, and further improving consideration for Dubai as the first choice for global destination travellers as well as for businesses. Working closely with the government and private sector, Dubai Tourism will keep abreast of global dynamics, mitigate risks, and ensure facilitation of a world-class destination experience across key touchpoints – ultimately capturing greater share of the global tourism market and greater value for the entire industry.

The progress we have achieved in 2014 is thanks to the exceptional support and continued contribution from our private and public sector stakeholders and partners that will be instrumental in enabling us to welcome even more visitors to Dubai in 2015.

Helal Saeed Almarri Director General Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing


Dubai continues to be a leading destination for international visitors. The city welcomed 13.2 million international overnight travellers in 2014, a promising result considering pressures on the global economy, volatile currencies, and an 80-day partial runway closure at Dubai International Airport (DXB) for upgrades. Compared to 2013, international visitors grew by 8.2% outpacing the global tourism sector average of 4.7% growth (UNWTO-World Tourism Organisation). Continuing its rise in global rankings of destinations most visited by international travellers, Dubai secured a top 5 position alongside London, Bangkok, Paris, and Singapore (MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index 2014). The study predicts that if Dubai’s growth rates continue, the city may exceed Singapore and Paris in the next five years, placing it in the top 3.

Fuelling demand in 2014 were the top 10 feeder markets that remained key contributors to travel volumes, both for business and leisure, most of which grew at circa 8%. Key markets that delivered exceptional double digit growth were emerging travel source countries for Dubai such as China, Nigeria, Brazil, and several Eastern European nations with fast growing middle-class populations and high disposable incomes. Dubai’s success as a tourism hub can be traced back to its history as a centre for international exchange, from a vital trading post during the 20th century to a modern-day transcontinental gateway. Dubai has continued to outpace the

global average in tourism growth due to a number of factors including the hub status of Dubai International Airport (DXB); a diverse set of inbound markets, making the Emirate resilient to geography-specific economic fluctuations; a continuingly evolving destination offer; and the accelerating trend of travel between emerging and mature destinations – both for pleasure and business development. That being said, a critical advantage that truly differentiates Dubai is the unparalleled support of industry stakeholders who are committed to a shared vision for sustainable growth.

2012 2013 20141 London Bangkok London

2 Paris London Bangkok

3 Bangkok Paris Paris

4 Singapore Singapore Singapore

5 Istanbul New York Dubai

6 Hong Kong Istanbul New York

7 Madrid Dubai Istanbul

8 Dubai Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur

9 Frankfurt Hong Kong Hong Kong

10 Kuala Lumpur Barcelona Seoul

TOP GLOBAL DESTINATION CITIES MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index

ATTRACTING VISITORS: 13.2M FROM AROUND THE WORLD

TOP 10 SOURCE MARKETS

SOURCE OF VISITORS BY REGION

KEY TRENDING MARKETS

1 Romania 64%

2 Poland 51%

3 Czech Republic 28%

4 China 27%

5 Egypt 27%

6 Nigeria 26%

7 Kenya 24%

8 Jordan 19%

9 Turkey 15%

10 Brazil 15%

GROWTH 2014 vs 2013% INCREASE IN VISITORS

W. EUROPE

22%

GCC

22%

S. ASIA

14%

N.E.&S.E. ASIA

8%AMERICAS

7%

3% AUSTRALASIA

RUSSIA, CIS & E. EUROPE

7%

SUBSAHARANAFRICA

6%

MENA

11%

13.2M

OVERNIGHT VISITORS

2014GLOBAL

RANKING 5#

8.2%GROWTH IN VOLUME

1 KSA 10%

2 India 10%

3 UK 8%

4 Oman 7%

5 USA 4%

6 Pakistan 4%

7 Kuwait 3%

8 Iran 3%

9 Germany 3%

10 Russia 3%

RANK IN 2014% SHARE OF DUBAI’S TOTAL VISITORS

IN 2014

2013-14

1

2

3

4

56

78910

45%HIGHLY- DIVERSIFIED MARKETS

55%TOP 10 SOURCEMARKETS


2.5

STRATEGICALLY DIVERSIFIED VISITORS: MARKETS AND SEGMENTS

TRAVELLER DEMOGRAPHICS

VISIT FRIENDS & RELATIVES

LEISURE

HOTEL & HOTEL APARTMENT

OTHERHOLIDAY RENTALSECOND HOMECRUISE

STAY WITH FRIENDS & RELATIVES

BUSINESS

OTHER

17%

3%

21%

59%11.5DAYS

5.5DAYS

ACCOMMODATION CHOICE(FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS)

PURPOSE OF VISIT(LENGTH OF STAY)

7.5DAYS

Female travellers are vital to the tourism industry, not only in terms of travel habits and preferences, but also given their role in decision making when it comes to holidays, their increasing independence in travel, and their rising disposable income. According to the Boston Consulting Group, women controlled USD20 trillion in annual consumer spending in 2013, and their earned income is growing at 8.1% versus 5.8% for men. The top source markets for female visitors to Dubai include the UK, Saudi Arabia, and India – all of which are within a convenient direct flight, offering a stress-free, safe, and highly cosmopolitan environment.

Dubai is already experiencing positive trends for this demographic - women average a longer length of stay (8.9 days) and exceed male visitation numbers on almost every attraction. According to Dubai Tourism’s visitor survey, nearly 86% of the female travellers indicated a high degree of satisfaction confirming that the current destination offering meets the requirements for this fast-growing and highly attractive target audience. Looking ahead, Dubai Tourism will continue working to exceed expectations with this segment through a host of luxury, lifestyle, and family initiatives. In addition to the retail and family investments mentioned elsewhere in the report, Dubai Tourism is also focusing on women in its marketing. For example, in 2014, Dubai Tourism targeted Australia’s luxury market with the release of the “Girl’s Guide to Dubai” promoting the wealth of female and family-friendly options available such as luxury hotels, shopping, beaches, spas, and restaurants.

Dubai Tourism has strategically sought to ensure a fragmented source market approach, mitigating risks associated with over-reliance on any specific region or geography. The result is a rich diversity in our visitor demographic that mirrors the inherent diversity of Dubai’s resident society. The purpose of visit although dominated by leisure at 59%, had over 21% visiting for business, and another 17% visiting friends and/or relatives (VFR). The latter two categories are particularly key in terms of repeat volumes and building a base of Dubai visitor loyalists. Families remain a priority target for Dubai Tourism’s marketing efforts, reflected in their 47% share of total tourists,

while solo travellers constituted 30% of the base. Hence, the average party size of 2.5 visitors reflects a significantly larger family size travelling on leisure visits, which in turn informs the hotel accommodation offering. Today less than 25% of visitors to Dubai stay in holiday rentals, with friends and relatives, or on cruise liners. Therefore, with 75% of tourists reliant on hotels and serviced apartments for accommodation, it is critical that the supply pipeline delivers quality, capacity and value, and aligns with specific segment needs to ensure that Dubai remains top on the consideration list for travellers world-wide.

75%

22%

3%

APPEALING TO AN IMPORTANT SEGMENT: WOMEN

TRAVELLERS

PURPOSE OF VISIT

ACCOMMODATIONCHOICE

GENDER

PARTY MAKE UP

INDIVIDUALS

30%

COLLEAGUES

5%

FAMILY/COUPLES

47%

FRIENDS

18%

AVERAGE PARTY SIZE

42%


DIVERSITY ACROSS KEY PROPOSITION PILLARS

Dubai as a city has constantly grown through exploring and pushing the boundaries of possibilities. Its product proposition as a destination mirrors this spirit – showcasing a remarkable contrast from culture to adventure, and from the untouched serene to the hi-tech modern luxury. Tourists have an array of experiences that cut across the strategic pillars of Dubai’s destination offering: Beach and Marine, Retail, Outdoor Adventure, Family Activities, Culture and Art, Gastronomy and Events, tailored to comprehensively meet leisure and business traveller needs.

One of Dubai’s top attractions, The Dubai Mall, drew 70% of all international visitors and has become one of the top 10 most geo-tagged locations on Instagram. The Mall provides year-round family attractions, such as the Dubai Aquarium, the world’s largest dancing fountains, and sightseeing access to the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa. Meanwhile, Ski Dubai, a truly unique experience of skiing in the middle of the desert,

attracted 5% of visitors who enjoyed the indoor snow park, while a multitude of others viewed from the two-storey pane inside the Mall of the Emirates. Beach experiences and visits to heritage and cultural districts are also a must for Dubai’s visitors, at 42% and 38% respectively.

With cuisines from over 200 cultures easily accessible, whether in long-established family restaurants or catered by Michelin-starred Chefs, Dubai is also growing its reputation as a destination for Gastronomic Experiences.

Similarly, across business and leisure events, the city infrastructure and calendar are continuously being enhanced to either specifically attract niche segments, or increase Dubai’s capture of tourism spend in these categories.

The continued investment and innovation across these propositions allows for sustained growth in consideration for Dubai as a destination of choice for our priority markets.

DUBAI MALL

70%BURJ KHALIFA

16%

HERITAGE & CULTURAL DISTRICTS

38%

DESERT SAFARI

11%

DUBAI MALL AQUARIUM

11%

DUBAI FOUNTAIN

47%

BEACH & MARINE

42%

BURJ AL ARAB

9%WATERPARKS

7%

PALM JUMEIRAH

25%

SKI DUBAI

5%

FLEXIBLE DESTINATION: 48 HOURS TO 7 NIGHTS

Average visit duration in Dubai has grown consistently over recent years moving from ‘stop-over’ transit city to a fully-fledged two-week vacation choice. In 2014, the length of stay averaged 7.8 days – higher than London at 6.1 days, and similar to New York City at 7.6 nights. Despite the potential high volume of business and repeat travellers, this average duration is a clear reflection of Dubai’s ability to capture a significant share of destination time from multiple categories of tourists – indicative of the breadth and depth of product offerings and the diversity of activities in the city.

FAMILIES: A STRATEGIC PRIORITY Family travel is reportedly the fastest growing tourism segment globally according to Thomson Reuters, accounting for over 12.5% of the USD1.7 trillion global tourism market as of 2014, and is projected to beat the industry average by continuing to grow at circa 5% year-on-year through 2020. A continued strategic priority to Dubai’s Tourism Vision, in 2014 just under half of the tourists were from this segment and the Emirate remains committed to long-term investment in improving the proposition tailored for global family travellers.

Top source markets for families to Dubai have traditionally been from within the GCC and the Indian subcontinent with KSA, Oman, and India being the leaders in 2014. With a higher average duration of stay (8.1 days) and 3.1 party size, this market segment is particularly important and requires to be catered for with a more customised and continuously evolving offer to drive higher repeats. Dubai’s current product has something for all ages and interests – from the famous Dubai Fountain, to outdoor adventure sports, waterparks, and indoor theme parks. That said, dynamically updating the value proposition is key to retaining interest from this audience. The future product pipeline includes the Dubai Safari Park, Legoland, and entertainment parks based on Marvel comic-book heroes and Hollywood/Bollywood movies.

EXCITE. ENTERTAIN.

EDUCATE.

% OF TRAVELLERS VISITING DUBAI’S KEY ATTRACTIONS

7.8DAYS

AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAYIN 2014

DURATION OF TRAVEL


PRE-ARRIVAL ENTRY PERMITS GETTING EASIERBuilding on the strength of its bilateral relations with other nations, the UAE continues to work on easing visa policies to increase attractiveness and reduce costs of consideration for the seven Emirates as destinations for global travellers. Recent immigration changes allow for citizens of a further 13 EU Member States previously required to apply for a visa, to now enter UAE with a ‘visa-on-arrival’ - joining 33 other nations - making it significantly more appealing for tourists across these markets, substantiated by growth in corresponding traffic volumes.

A new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers has been introduced and is expected to boost ship calls and drive demand in the upcoming season. The new system will attract more passengers from emerging markets with significantly decreased visa costs, and simplified travel logistics for passengers with multiple ports of call.

Further, authorities working in conjunction with Dubai Airports and Dubai Tourism are especially focused on monitoring performance and implementing key initiatives to ensure that visitors’ immigration experience upon arrival remains smooth, hassle-free, and welcoming.

ARRIVAL AND ACCESS DUBAI IS THE WORLD’S CONNECTOR According to the World Economic Forum, Dubai’s greatest competitive advantage in tourism is its ability to provide a world-class international hub for global air travellers. Building on this, Dubai International Airport (DXB) in 2014 surpassed London’s Heathrow Airport as the busiest in terms of traffic handling and throughput – despite an 80-day partial runway closure for upgrades during the summer. The airport ranked among the top in the world by Skytrax including a 4th place ranking in shopping and retail experience, and an 8th place ranking in overall terminal infrastructure. DXB continues to work on improving its facilities, services, and amenities to effectively cater for the millions of travellers that pass through its gates, cognisant that this first ‘port of call’ experience is influential in converting every passenger to DXB into a destination traveller for Dubai.

Connectivity is among the most critical factors influencing destination choice for global travellers and the exceptional direct access that Dubai offers through its home-grown airlines remains integral to the continued growth of tourism traffic. Supporting the very diversified source market strategy

adopted by Dubai Tourism, Emirates Airline has more than 220 flights to 146 destinations in 83 countries (as of September 2014). With latest routes including Boston, Taipei, Brussels, Budapest, Abuja, and Kano, the airline is projecting an annual lift of 70 million passengers by 2020. Incepted in 2008, Dubai’s second home airline, flydubai serves 94 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe across 45 countries. In 2014, they additionally announced 23 new routes and a Business Class Service adding to the proposition specifically for the business travellers from new markets.

In addition to air access, Dubai is also cementing its roots as a vital sea port and cruise visitor port of call. The ultra-modern Dubai Cruise Terminal now hosts seafaring travellers from 21 leading cruise operators, including Princess Cruises, Van Gogh Cruise Lines, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Some 425,000 passengers are expected to sail into Dubai in 2015, a 30% increase over 2014.

IN-CITY SERVICES SAFETY HALLMARKRanked among the top 20 Lowest Risk Cities in the world by Aon Hewitt (of Aon Plc) and the most secure destination in the MEA region, Dubai’s safety record is exceptional, particularly given the high incidence of violent crime in most metropolitans around the world.

Dubai Police has a department solely dedicated to responding to tourist safety and security needs. These efforts are not going unnoticed as this aspect is amongst the highest ranked in Dubai’s positive brand perception and a strong influencer of travel choice.

CUSTOMER SERVICEAs Dubai strives to cement its reputation as a global destination of choice and appeal to an even wider range of holidaymakers, the Emirate is also investing in quality customer service with the establishment of the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), expected to be operational by the end of 2015. Welcomed by the hotel industry, this educational facility will provide certification for a variety of hospitality-based jobs from event management to taxi driving etiquette and tour guide/operator training. With the automated metro line expanding to increase connectivity across the city and the newly-launched Dubai Tram, internal transport and logistics have become even more sophisticated – all working together to deliver the ultimate seamless ‘Dubai Experience’ that makes a lifetime advocate of every visitor to the city.

1

2

3

NEW VISA-ON-ARRIVAL COUNTRIES

Country Visitors Growth vs 2013

1. Bulgaria 104%

2. Croatia 31%

3. Cyprus 27%

4. Czech Republic 28%

5. Estonia 35%

6. Hungary 86%

7. Latvia 37%

8. Lithuania 18%

9. Malta 13%

10. Poland 51%

11. Romania 64%

12. Slovakia 58%

13. Slovenia 56%

OTHER COUNTRIES WITH VISA-ON-ARRIVAL As of April 2015

1. Andorra

2. Australia

3. Austria

4. Belgium

5. Brunei

6. Canada

7. Denmark

8. Finland

9. France

10. Germany

11. Greece

12. Hong Kong

13. Iceland

14. Ireland

15. Italy

16. Japan

17. Liechtenstein

18. Luxembourg

19. Malaysia

20. Monaco

21. Netherlands

22. New Zealand

23. Norway

24. Portugal

25. San Marino

26. Singapore

27. South Korea

28. Spain

29. Sweden

30. Switzerland

31. United Kingdom

32. United States of America

33. Vatican City

THE DUBAI VISITOR EXPERIENCE: A CONTINUED PURSUIT FOR EXCELLENCE

THE DUBAI EXPERIENCE Success of destinations in increasing their share of the global tourism market is contingent on two foundational factors – firstly, the ability to raise consideration in the minds of first-time visitors through a compelling proposition; and secondly, ensuring that visitors become enthusiastic advocates and loyal repeat travellers by delivering a superior end-to-end destination experience. In terms of the latter, Dubai’s efforts have yielded exceptional results with 85% of the visitors to the Emirate in 2014, being satisfied or extremely satisfied with their overall trip and set of experiences across various touchpoints (according to Dubai Tourism’s visitor survey results).

The section alongside focuses on accomplished results in 2014 and highlights the measures being taken at various stages of the visitor journey, as part of continuous improvement to raise the bar, and ensure that Dubai grows to achieve the ultimate objective of becoming the number one most visited tourism destination in the world.

OVERALL SATISFACTION

EXTREMELY OR VERY SATISFIED

85%NEW

Added in 2014


1

4

5

2

3

GEARING UP FOR SUSTAINED GROWTH: TOURISM AND RELATED INDUSTRIES

GDP MULTIPLIER EFFECTAs one of the key pillars of strategic economic diversification and core to both the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021, tourism remains an anchor for sustained GDP growth across related sectors within its value chain.

Complementary to the target of welcoming 20 million annual visitors by 2020, Dubai Tourism seeks to grow the economic contribution and multiply the impact of every incremental tourist to Dubai consequently driving more return on every dirham invested in the tourism industry. To accomplish this goal, the city has developed a synchronised approach to investment across a wide range of interrelated industries that form part of the wider destination proposition including hospitality, retail, attractions, aviation, entertainment, and dining.

Key highlights from 2014 include:

1. Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranked #1 in the volume of international traffic handled

2. Hotels sector alone delivered over AED15 billion GDP impact

3. Dubai’s retail proposition ranked #2 in the world for consumers and brands

4. 3 new mega-leisure theme park developments will be launched in Dubai in 2016 alone

5. MICE traffic alone grew by over 10% with planned venue capacity increase of between 15-18% by 2016

70.5M

AIRPORT TRAFFIC

6%PASSENGER TRAFFIC

48.6M

SEAT CAPACITY

7%AIRLINE SEATS

92.3K

HOTELS CAPACITY

9%ROOMS AVAILABLE

80M

RETAIL TRAFFIC

7%FOOTFALL TO DUBAI MALL

2014 AIRPORT TRAFFIC1#up across the Emirate. Contrasting examples include The Beach

adjacent to Jumeirah Beach Residence and The Walk, providing a beach-front semi-covered promenade retail and F&B experience; and the Box Park district which showcases a nouveau urban-industrial retail environment with 220 shipping containers re-purposed as boutique designer outlets. With new international brands – from high-end fashion houses to mass-market affordable brands and discount stores – all expanding their existing presence or seeking to enter the Dubai market, retail developers like Emaar Properties, Meraas, and the Majid Al Futtaim Group remain bullish in their development outlook adding sophisticated mall space with new innovative retail experiences for tourists and residents.

OUTDOOR ATTRACTIONS With families and travellers seeking more unique experiential outdoor propositions, there is an increasing demand for high quality product offerings that caters to this need. A key factor in increasing Dubai’s status as a world-leading family destination will be the focus on expanding the proposition of mega-leisure and entertainment destination developments. Already underway and targeting opening in 2016, are three of the five Dubai Parks and Resorts – the Hollywood-themed Motiongate Dubai, Bollywood Parks Dubai, and Legoland Dubai. Within Dubai’s beach and marine offering is the newly-opened 14km Jumeirah Corniche, which covers the scenic beach stretch from the Burj Al Arab to Dubai Marine Beach Resort, providing visitors with paved running tracks, sport & leisure facilities, numerous eateries, and a traditional fishing harbour.

EVENTSDubai’s events sector that has historically been a key driver of visitor traffic and GDP impact is expected to maintain momentum with a comprehensive offering that ranges from city-wide festivals and live events in sports, music, performing arts and entertainment to mega-trade fairs, conferences, and conventions for business tourists. Adding richness to an exciting line-up of events, the Dubai Shopping Festival – which marked 20 years in 2014 - is complemented by several recently-added city-wide events. These festivals include the Dubai Food Festival, a three-week-long gastronomy celebration, bringing the best culinary delights from around the world and celebrating home-grown concepts and Emirati cuisine, and the Dubai Motor Festival, an annual motoring extravaganza showcasing, among other things, the largest convoy of super, luxury and classic cars and bikes in the region. Also, Dubai Art Season runs as a month-long arts initiative that highlights the city’s growing creative ecosystem with outdoor art projects, interactive initiatives, workshops, exhibitions, panel discussions, and performances. Separately, the MENASA’s largest venue operator and MICE events organiser, the Dubai World Trade Centre announced a 10% growth in traffic to business events contributing to 7% of the overall tourism volumes to Dubai in 2014. Planned venue expansions and investments in core event hosting spaces will continue to fuel sector growth.

AVIATIONDubai International Airport (DXB) became the world’s number one airport for international passengers with annual passenger traffic of 70.5 million, up 6.1% from 2013. Dubai’s Open Skies policy has remained key to the continued growth in volumes with more than 140 airlines now using the city as their hub to service markets across continents. Home-based carriers Emirates Airline and flydubai showed exceptional growth both in terms of fleet size and global footprint expansion, diversifying their respective reach to collectively provide direct connectivity for a greater number of destinations with Dubai. Emirates reported 6-month figures of 23.3 million passengers (based on half-yearly results for April - September 2014), backed by an investment in 13 new aircrafts adding 6% incremental seat capacity into Dubai. All of these factors, combined with DXB’s investment in expansion and upgrades, support the airport’s current projection of 126 million passenger traffic by 2020, excluding planned expansion of its sister airport Dubai World Central that will continue to support ancillary airlines, charters, and cargo.

ACCOMMODATIONDubai’s hotel and hospitality sector continued capacity expansion on the back of a strong 7.4% increase in guest nights and a corresponding 12% revenue increase across accommodations. Overall 44.7 million guest room nights delivered AED15.2 billion gross GDP impact purely from room rents with the supply increasing by over 9% to stand at a total of 92,333 rooms in 657 properties across the Emirate as of December 2014. Growth in supply, particularly in the upmarket accommodation pipeline, is expected to remain strong to support continued rise in demand. However, to support enhancement of our proposition to families and business travellers, government incentives are set to encourage greater inventory in the middle-tier, three and four-star categories as well. Overall Dubai’s efforts will remain focused on ensuring growth for the hotel sector while remaining competitive as a destination.

RETAILDubai retained its position as the 2nd most important global retail destination in 2014 according to Real Estate consultancy, CBRE, supported by the strong tourism performance and investments in logistics and retail infrastructure. With the rising global awareness of Dubai’s retail proposition, Shopping is likely to retain its position as a key share of visitor wallet contribution to Dubai’s economy. Capacity within the retail sector is already growing to cater for resident and tourist demand reflecting signs of an extremely lucrative 2014 – Dubai Mall alone attracted 80 million people with a reported annual turn-over of AED16 billion. In addition to upgrades on existing facilities, new destinations featuring diverse shopping experiences with complementary offerings and distinctive appeal to grow the overall product proposition are coming

IN 2014

IN 2014

IN 2014

IN 2014


METHODOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

IMAGE

INTERNATIONAL OVERNIGHT VISITORSThe visitor figures included in this report refer to the

international overnight visitor travelling to Dubai and staying

for at least one night. This includes all visitors travelling by air,

sea, and land but excludes all UAE residents, air crew, and sea

crew. The visitor statistics are analysed by nationalities based

on a robust set of information including visitor arrivals from

the Dubai Immigration Authorities, hotel guests from hotel/

hotel apartment establishments, and Dubai International

Visitors Survey (DIVS). Note: this number is different to

historical numbers published by Dubai Tourism which only

referenced hotel establishment guests.

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL VISITORS SURVEY (DIVS)Most visitor descriptives in this report come from DIVS which

is an ongoing survey that covers a sample of approximately

24,000 visitors a year. Face-to-face interviews are conducted

with visitors at DXB and other major public spaces in Dubai.

Respondents are qualified based on their status as an

international visitor and based on the amount of time they have

spent in Dubai. Qualified respondents must be past the

midpoint of their trip to screen-in for the survey.

The sample is selected based on a monthly quota to ensure

adequate sample for descriptives on key dimensions. The data

collected are weighted by country of residence, month of visit,

and catchment area based on actual visitor arrival statistics.

This ensures that the profile of visitors surveyed resembles the

distribution of visitor arrivals in the total population.

KEY TERMS

LENGTH OF STAYRefers to the number of days spent in Dubai. Note that the 7.8

days quoted in this report is different to the historical numbers

published by Dubai Tourism on hotel length of stay and cannot

be directly compared for two reasons: 1) group difference - one

refers to hotel guests, the other to all visitors to Dubai; 2) unit

difference - one refers to days stayed, the other to nights stayed.

GUEST NIGHTSNumber of hotel guests multiplied by number of nights stayed.

PURPOSE OF VISITThe primary reason for travel established by asking a closed

set of questions including the standard tourism categories of

leisure, business, and VFR (visiting friends and relatives).

STAYING WITH FRIENDS & RELATIVES (SFR)A classification of accommodation type not to be confused with

VFR (visiting friends and relatives), a classification of purpose

of visit. Note in this report that the 2014 SFR proportion is 22%

while VFR is 17%. The difference is explained by the fact that

not everyone staying with friends and relatives is visiting them

as the primary reason for the trip.

SATISFACTIONAll satisfaction scores were derived using a 10-point scale. The

“top three-boxes”, meaning a rating of eight, nine or ten, is

considered extremely or very satisfied.

VISITATION OF KEY ATTRACTIONSDefined in most cases by ticketed/paid entry. The Dubai Mall

Aquarium, Burj Khalifa, Ski Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Desert Safari,

and Waterparks are all defined by paid entry into the attraction.

Beach & Marine, The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Fountain, Palm

Jumeirah, and Heritage Districts are not.

ABOUT DUBAI TOURISM

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

(Dubai Tourism) is the principal authority for the planning,

supervision, development, and marketing of Dubai’s tourism

sector; for marketing and promoting the Emirate’s commerce

sector; and for the licensing and classification of all tourism

services, including hotels, tour operators, and travel agents.

Dubai Tourism playsa pivotal role in Dubai’s rise to prominence

as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, and is

focused on achieving Dubai’s Tourism Vision for 2020 – to

welcome 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

For more information on Dubai Tourism, please visit:

www.visitdubai.com

Annual Visitor Report.pdf

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