More Filipinos visited Dubai in the first half of 2022 according to two major airlines in the Philippines. The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) have recorded a 183% increase in the influx of tourist since January compared to that of 2021.
“Dubai has received over 7.12 million international overnight visitors in the first six months of this year. Tourist numbers are now closing in on pre-pandemic levels, with a growth of more than 183 per cent year on year in the first half of 2022,” stated Dubai Media Office.
Between January and June last year, a little over 2.5 million tourists had visited Dubai.
Filipinos contributed in the million-record of visitors in Dubai according to top airline companies in the Philippines. Corporate Communications Director Carmina Romero of Cebu Pacific said that they have expanded their travel capacity this year.
“There is an increase on our January-June capacity comparing it to that of first half of last year’s. In fact CEB increased its flight frequency from 7x weekly to 10x weekly to cater to demand for both tourists and overseas workers on the MNL-DXB-MNL route,” said Romero.
According to Philippine Airlines Spokesperson Cielo Villaluna, the increase in tourist influx can be associated with ‘revenge travelers.’
“Increased tourist flow to Dubai can be attributed to a variety of factors. Pent-up travel demand from the two-year border closures has given way to a surge of “revenge travel”. Dubai is well positioned to attract this surge of travelers because of its interesting mix of offerings as a cosmopolitan world city that at the same time maintains its local vibe. The Dubai World Expo has been a go-to place for travelers as well,” said Villaluna.
Read: Expo City Dubai to open its gates for visitors on Sept. 1
They also highlighted that Dubai is one of the in-demand ‘go-to’ places because of its easy and convenient travel requirements.
“You can visit Dubai from anywhere, including fellow GCC countries, by showing that you are either fully vaccinated with UAE-approved or WHO-approved vaccines, OR that you have negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of departure,” said Villaluna.
“Likewise, coming back to the Philippines has been made more convenient for fully vaccinated individual, as they no longer need to quarantine upon arrival,” said Romero.
Now that -ber months are around the corner, both companies said they are more than ready to cater to the influx of Filipinos who will travel and enjoy the winter season of Dubai.
“We are determined to continue offering affordable air fares that help power the recovery in air travel and tourist flows. At the same time, we continue to monitor aviation fuel prices very closely along with other global conditions that affect air fare levels,” stated Villaluna.
Factors such as fuel prices and the fluctuation of peso rates will determine the adjustment of ticket prices but both airlines stated their commitment to deliver affordable rates for Filipinos.
“Airfare is dependent on fuel prices. If we assume same level of fuel prices, yes, relatively lower fares in the coming months until travel will peak again by December. Amidst the risks posed by expensive jet fuel, peso depreciation and interest rate hikes, CEB remains committed to fulfilling its core purpose to provide affordable and accessible travel for all with our trademark ‘piso’ and low fares,” said Romero.
Dubai Tourism has reported that KSA, India, Russia, UK, Oman, USA, Germany, Pakistan, France and Iran as the top 10 country sources of tourists this 2022.
The tourist influx has also helped revitalize the hotel and restaurant industry in the city which experienced a 67% rise in its average occupancy in the first half of this year.
