UAE’s travel and tourism sector improves in the second quarter of 2021

Monday, June 7, 2021

The outlook for the UAE’s travel and tourism sector has become a bit better in the second quarter of 2021, with the positive impact of the country’s strong vaccine programme showing its effect. However, challenges still linger for certain segments of the industry.

“While hotel occupancy in the UAE will gradually recover on the back of increased domestic tourism and the return of international travellers, business travel will not return to pre-pandemic levels in the foreseeable future,” said Zain Qureshi, managing director and global head of real estate finance and advisory at Mashreq Bank.

The UAE’s vaccine drive along with strategic initiatives by the government for supporting local tourism has contributed extensively toward improving leisure travel.

For fighting the pandemic, both federal and emirate-level agencies in the UAE have adopted a ‘zero-tolerance’ approach regarding disobedience to safety protocols. Penalties range from warnings to suspension of licenses, making sure that rules are followed thoroughly.

“It’s about keeping your staff and operations as lean as possible until things stabilize,” stressed Qureshi.

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