Dubai was the city with the highest reported tourist spending in 2022

06-08-23

Dubai has become a benchmark destination for luxury tourism, where visitors undertake extravagant experiences such as visiting the Burj Khalifa, riding a camel in the desert or shopping for goods and services at the Dubai Mall. Not surprisingly, the UAE welcomed 14.3 million international overnight visitors in 2022, up 97% from 7.2 million tourists the previous year, according to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. In addition, the average traveller spends €4,500.

But, it is reported to have the highest spending by international tourists during 2022, with US$29.42 billion, followed by Doha, Qatar, with US$16.07 billion.

The report "Economic impact of cities in 2022, city travel is back" indicates that London, England, recorded US$16.07 billion in revenue from outbound tourists. This is followed by Macau (US$15.58 billion), Amsterdam in the Netherlands (US$13.59 billion) and Istanbul, Turkey (US$13.13 billion).

Against this backdrop, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) president Julia Simpson understands that demographics such as London, Paris and New York will remain global powerhouses, "but in the coming years, Beijing, Shanghai and Macau will move up the list of top urban destinations".

Barcelona and New York only report a difference of US$190 million, with the Spanish city registering US$12.73 billion compared to US$12.45 billion for the city known as the Big Apple in the United States. Singapore, meanwhile, with US$10.97 billion.

While the report indicates that people will always return to their favourite places, as other countries prioritise the tourism industry, emerging destinations will "challenge the traditional ones".

The WTTC estimates that by 2032, tourists will spend up to US$52.06 billion in Hong Kong, a 20.6% difference from the US$43.14 billion in Macau and a 21.1% difference from the projected US$42.98 billion in Singapore.

Regions such as Bangkok (US$33.45 billion), Tokyo (US$25.44 billion) and Shanghai (US$21.3 billion) will become the cities with the highest spending by international tourists. In addition to New York and Amsterdam with an estimated US$21.73 billion and US$21.53 billion, respectively.