Dubai: Dubai will welcome 20 million visitors a year by 2020, doubling its annual visitor numbers from 10 million in 2012, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said on Saturday, officially approving Dubai?s Vision for Tourism for 2020.
By 2020, Dubai will welcome 20 million visitors per year, and treble the annual contribution made by tourism to the city?s economy, according to the new tourism vision.
?We are aware that such goals are ambitious, but more important than ambition is realising these goals in reality,? Shaikh Mohammed said in a statement, adding that he is confident that the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is capable of achieving what it aims for ?given the previous accomplishments and the positive results attained?.
He added that tourism, however, is a broad service sector that one entity cannot solely be held responsible for its development.
?Therefore, it is important that other government departments and institutions share this responsibility and join in developing this sector in order to strengthen our macroeconomic capabilities,? he said, adding that he expects the private sector to play a similar role in supporting this goal.
?Our role at DTCM is to act as a facilitator of growth, harnessing the collective power of stakeholders in the city and deepening engagement with parties outside of Dubai, so that we deliver the vision,? said Helal Saeed Al Merri, Director General of DTCM.
Dubai was able to double the number of tourists from only five million yearly to ten million tourists a year during the past eight years.
According? Al Merri, new tourism projects are expected to drive Dubai?s tourism vision for 2020.
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