Dubai, a global tourist hub, is strategically poised to prevent overtourism, according to industry leaders speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Madinat Jumeirah.
Aradhana Khowala, CEO and founder of Aptamind Partners, emphasized the city's effective planning and diverse attractions as key factors in managing tourist inflow.
“Dubai doesn’t have the problem of overtourism,”
Khowala stated, contrasting the emirate with cities like Venice, where overcrowding leads to environmental strain. She noted that Dubai's sprawling urban layout and excellent infrastructure distribute visitors across various attractions, alleviating pressure on any single area.
While cities like Venice, Barcelona, and Santorini struggle with high tourist-to-resident ratios, Dubai's 3.6 million residents welcomed 17.1 million visitors last year without experiencing significant overcrowding. Khowala pointed out that the UAE government’s ongoing investment in tourism infrastructure will further enhance Dubai's capacity to accommodate visitors without compromising residents' quality of life.
JS Anand, founder and CEO of Leva Hotels, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Dubai's well-planned tourism framework.
“It has the right amount of tourism and infrastructure support,”
Anand said, contrasting Dubai's organized approach with the congestion seen in cities like Rome.
With future developments including additional downtowns to distribute tourist traffic, Dubai is set to remain a well-managed destination. Khowala praised the emirate's marketing strategies and creativity, asserting that as long as Dubai continues to innovate and expand its offerings, the risk of overtourism will remain low.
News Source: Khaleej Times
