Beach_Dubai_Covid_Recovery

Overcoming the Pandemic: Dubai

Highlights

As tourism in many countries are still struggling for a rebound, Dubai has started recovery, with people traveling there for businesses, events and vacations.

The UAE is the leading country with the highest vaccination rate with 71% of the population fully vaccinated, and this lays the foundation for safe recovery for both local and overseas tourism.

The high vaccination rates gave UAE policymakers the confidence to implement proactive travel policies for a speedy recovery, attracting high net worth investors along the way.

Tourism players from airlines to hotels in Dubai recognise the importance of contactless interactions and are adopting new technologies to embrace the new normal of travel and hospitality.
Up until the pandemic swept over the world in early 2020, Dubai International Airport was the busiest airport for international passengers, making Dubai one of the largest international air hubs in the world and one of the most popular tourist destinations. But once the pandemic hit the shores of the UAE, all of Dubai’s tourism activities came to a depressing halt.

As the tourism sectors in other countries are still struggling for a rebound, businesses in Dubai head the opposite direction and are already recovering, with people traveling to Dubai for businesses, events and even vacations.

What has Dubai done right? In this article, we have listed three factors that have contributed to Dubai’s recovery. Businesses all over the world should take note of these factors that contribute to Dubai’s recovery, as we anticipate travel restrictions to be lifted gradually.

1. High Vaccination Rates

Data from Our World In Data shows that as of 5 August 2021, the UAE has the highest vaccination rate among all countries in the world, with 71% of the population fully vaccinated.

The high vaccination rate of the UAE lays the foundation for the recovery of Dubai’s tourism industry and drives the country’s reopening policy, as both the travellers and the local residents feel safe about being in the UAE.

Other major countries are catching up, with the Canada, UK and the US having 60%, 57%, and 49% of the population fully vaccinated respectively. As vaccination rates rise, soon may see travel restrictions being partially or even fully lifted, and the recovery of global travel will be just around the corner.
Dubai downtown

2. Proactive Travel Policy

Thanks to the high vaccination rate within the UAE, policymakers are confident enough to move forward with proactive travel policies that welcome travellers from all over the world to the UAE, and Dubai’s tourism industry enjoys a speedy recovery.

In August 2020, Dubai reopened to visitors with valid health insurance and negative Covid test results. Since then, Dubai not only has been attracting tourists from all over the world, but also high net worth investors who seek a more liberating lifestyle while other countries are still imposing strict social distancing measures.

The proactive travel policy that the UAE implements thus not only accelerates the recovery of Dubai’s tourism sector in the short run, but also drives up investments from global investors that will benefit the commercial vitality of Dubai for a long time to come.

3. Contactless Technologies

In the future, other countries that achieve high vaccination rates may follow suit and adopt proactive travel policies to attract tourists and investors, but one thing that the COVID-19 has taught us is that we can never be too cautious with health and safety measures, even when the pandemic seems to be under control.

What can businesses do to mitigate the effect of uncertainties in the post-pandemic new normal? The answer lies in contactless technologies. Places such as restaurants, hotels and attractions must integrate contactless technologies into their daily operations to minimise the risk of a large-scale virus transmission.

As frontrunners in global travel recovery, the tourism sector in Dubai adopts contactless technologies to embrace the new normal of travel and hospitality.

Emirates introduces contactless journeys at Dubai International Airport for all travellers. Technologies such as biometric paths, self check-in kiosks and smart gates are implemented to minimise contact between passengers and airline staff, reducing the risk of transmission.
Emirates Contactless Self-Check-in
Photo credits: Emirates.com
Hotels in Dubai are also adopting contactless hospitality solutions. Recognizing that contactless interactions are becoming a norm and hotel guests naturally expect contactless options for services, hoteliers in Dubai have embraced contactless technologies to not only meet the guests’ demands, but also improve operational efficiency at hotels.

In short, as we prepare for a recovery in global travel, businesses in the tourism sector need to embrace contactless technologies to prepare for the post-pandemic new normal.

The Vouch Guest Experience Platform is contactless and built for hoteliers around the world to boost operational efficiency and enhance guest experience. Vouch is trusted by numerous renowned hospitality brands including Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, and many more.

We are here to help your hotel stay ahead of the curve in the post-pandemic world. Get in touch with us now to schedule a demo!