Dubai attracted over 7 million international visitors during the first half of 2022, recording a growth of over 183 percent compared to the corresponding time period last year, data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism showed.

The uptick in tourist visits and activity in the city means that Dubai is on track to achieve its tourism goals for 2022, the official Emirates News Agency WAM reported on Sunday.

“The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the world’s best place to live, work and invest in has resulted in a resurgence of Dubai’s tourism sector,” said Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

He added that the rise in the number of tourists reflected the “resilience and dynamism of the emirate’s economy.”

“The rapid rise in international tourist arrivals puts Dubai on track to achieve its ambitious target of becoming the world’s most visited destination. In the years ahead, Dubai will continue to develop itself further as a destination that offers compelling value to international travelers,” Sheikh Hamdan added.

The number of tourists recorded during the first half of this year was very close to the numbers the emirate achieved in the first half of 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the city recorded 8.36 million tourists.

Of the 7.12 million tourists who visited Dubai between January and June this year, 34 percent were from the Middle East and North Africa region, 22 percent from Western Europe, 16 percent from South Asia, and 11 percent from Russia, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, and Eastern Europe.

The hospitality sector outperformed pre-pandemic levels across all key measurements, including occupied room nights, average daily rate, and revenue per room.

Dubai hotels reportedly delivered a combined 18.47 million occupied room nights during this period, registering a 30.4 percent year-on-year growth and an 18 percent increase from pre-COVID levels in H1 2019 which yielded 15.71 million occupied room nights.