Official statistics showed on Monday that the number of tourists visiting Dubai fell by 67.2 per cent during the first quarter of 2021 compared with the same period last year, Anadolu has reported. Travel concerns and restrictions continue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. dubai tourism

According to the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai (DTCM), 1.26 million tourists visited Dubai in the first three months of this year, compared with 3.84 million in the first quarter of 2020. India was the largest source of tourists during this period, with 320,000 visitors, followed by Russia with 99,000, France with 46,000, Egypt with 41,000 and Britain with 40,000.

Tourism is very important to the emirate, has been hit hard by the tight restrictions imposed on the entry of foreigners. Recovery has been slow due to health concerns and the emergence of new variants of the virus.

According to the data, 449,800 international tourists visited Dubai during March, adding to 358,500 in February and 451,700 in January.

“We are very optimistic on the numbers for the year,” Dubai Tourism Chief Executive Issam Kazim told Reuter reporters on Tuesday. But he said forecasts were “a little bit up in the air” as some markets expected to be allowing international travel were in fact imposing restrictions. Kazim did not identify any particular market.

The United Kingdom, a top source market, has suspended most direct flights from the United Arab Emirates while arrivals who have recently been in the Gulf state must quarantine in hotels.

Meanwhile, the UAE has largely banned entry for those who have recently visited India, another key market, due to the latest outbreak there.

The number of foreign visitors to Dubai decreased by 64 per cent during 2020, down to 5.51 million compared with 16.73 million visitors in 2019, pre-pandemic.

Dubai is the most popular tourist destination in the UAE, with more than three times the number of visitors than its nearest rival in the emirates, the capital Abu Dhabi.