The UAE has emerged as the most popular tourist destination for 2021, thanks to unique offers from each of the seven emirates as well as the improved confidence among foreign tourists in the country following the government's strong response against the coronavirus pandemic.

Global travel company Kuoni said that, according to Google, the UAE was the most searched destination for tourism for 2021.

"Home to the popular tourist destination of Dubai, the UAE was the most searched for holiday spot for 2021 in 11 countries. Each of the seven emirates has its own characteristics, but they're all an excellent destination for some winter sun. Dubai has a futuristic style with soaring skyscrapers, epic shopping malls and long stretches of beach, Fujairah has some incredible snorkelling spots and Ras Al Khaimah draws beach lovers to its beautiful coastline," Kuoni said.

The other popular tourist destinations searched on Google for next year were Canada, the US, and Egypt.

Dubai slowly and cautiously started opening up in June after weeks of restrictions to check the spread of Covid-19. On July 7, Dubai opened up for tourists as well.

Mamoun Hmedan, managing director for Mena and India, Wego, said the new set of agreements between Dubai and some countries post-Covid-19 will open up a new set of source markets and attract more tourists in the coming year.

"The success of the tourism sector in the UAE has been a model for many countries to follow. The UAE tops the list of the most attractive countries on the world map for tourism, due to the great infrastructure, array of entertainment offerings and its unparalleled tourism attractions," said Hmedan.

Moreover, he noted that the UAE has taken precautionary measures in line with the highest safety standards to enhance the confidence of travelers in all stages of travel. Tourist destinations in the UAE are able to quickly reserve their place in the list of tourist destinations, once restrictions on travel around the world are lifted, given the high global demand for the UAE as one of the preferred tourist destinations.

"As a result, we're expecting to see a surge in the number of tourists to the UAE in 2021. The high confidence and tremendous capabilities that the UAE employed in dealing with Covid-19 play a pivotal role in attracting travellers," he added.

Ayman Ashor, general manager for Al Bandar Rotana and Al Bandar Arjaan, also sees full recovery in tourism and hospitality sectors in the first-quarter of 2021 as the market is expected to pick up ahead of Expo 2020.

"We anticipate that the number of visitors coming to Expo 2020 will be bigger than what was anticipated this year, simply because a lot of events that have been delayed or postponed this year will happen next year. I have a feeling that Expo 2020 will be much better than expected in terms of visitors," added Ashor.

waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com

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