Dubai targets 15mn tourist by 2015
Guest Writers are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the specific writer directly
A recent study by Genesis Consulting ME stated that Dubai is one of the top 10 destinations in the world in terms of travel and tourism for leisure, business or shopping. 
Several factors have contributed to the destination’s success such as ultimate luxury offerings, architectural marvels, variety of huge malls among others.
The destination is also attracting demand from a wide range of segments, including leisure, corporate and MICE travelers. The leisure market contributes over 40% of occupancy of the total room nights in hotels. Looking into the future, Dubai is expected to attract more than 15 million tourists from all around the globe by 2015.
This reflects positively to the growth of the hotel industry, which recorded an occupancy rate of 80% in 2012, with an average daily rate of US$280.58 which was 0.9% and 8.4% higher respectively than 2011. In terms of revenue, hotels in Dubai recorded a 10.3% increase in revenue.
Bharat Kumar, managing director of Genesis Consulting ME, said: “The travel and tourism industry has established itself as a key important pillar for economic growth within the UAE and Dubai in particular. It is the magnet to attract leisure, business and shopping visitors and is the ideal link between the West and East.”
Medical tourism has also become an attractive segment, with medical tourists coming from the region and globally. Health tourism in the UAE is growing at 15% annually. The DHCC recorded a sharp growth in medical tourism with over 502,000 patients in 2011 including 15% medical tourists compared to 10% of a total of 412,000 patients in 2010.
