By Florian Neuhof www.thenational.ae
Dubai aims to double the number of visitors to the city by 2020 and triple revenues generated from tourism.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday signed off on a programme that seeks to bring 20 million visitors by the end of the decade, according to the state news service Wam.
The Government believes that this would boost revenues from tourism to Dh300 billion and treble the sector’s contribution to the emirate’s GDP.
Optimism has returned to Dubai since its property sector came under severe pressure in 2009, and many shelved tourism projects have been restarted.
Sheikh Mohammed last year gave the green light for Mohammed bin Rashid City, a vast complex of 100 new hotels and the world’s largest shopping mall. The Taj Al Arab, a replica of India’s Taj Mahal four times the size of the original, is also to go ahead, as are plans for five theme parks that come at a cost of Dh10bn. More info
