Association Insight International & European | Page 24

As part of the Tourism Vision 2020, Dubai aims to
double its visitor numbers to the emirate and treble
the associated tourism revenue from 10 million people
and approximately AED75 billion Dirhams in 2012, to
20 million people and 215-230 billion Dirhams in 2020.
This ambitious plan focusses on maintaining market
share, tapping high potential markets and increasing
repeat visitors to Dubai through key areas in the
leisure and events sectors.
Dubai’s year-on-year visitor growth rate in 2012 was
9.3% and averaged 8% over the previous 5 years. In
2013, the growth rate hit 11%, and to reach 20 million
tourists by 2020, a 9% annual growth rate is required.

Dubai has made the meetings, incentives, conventions
and exhibitions industry a priority area within its
bigger economic development approach for several
key reasons. Association events are facilitators of a
knowledge economy and position Dubai as a global
hub for knowledge exchange.
The key sectors which will help catapult Dubai forward
as a knowledge exchange hub include healthcare,
financial services, information technology, trade and
logistics.

Dubai currently dominates the region’s association
events industry and is the leading city for Middle
Eastern business events with 50% of all exhibitions
held in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC).