Russia climbs rankings to become Dubai’s second-largest source market in 2021, with UAE set to remain the country’s preferred GCC destination

• Russian market on course to surpass US$1 billion for UAE within next four years
• The average length of stay for Russian visitors grew by 74.5% from 2019 to 2020
• With continued growth predicted, Russia will represent a key focus at ATM 2022 with a dedicated Forum

Russia has grown to become the second-largest source market for Dubai’s travel and tourism sector in 2021, climbing from eighth place in last year’s rankings. This is according to data released ahead of the next edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 9-12 May 2022.

Commissioned by Reed Exhibitions (RX), the organisers of ATM 2022, the Colliers report concluded that the UAE is also likely to retain its status as the preferred GCC destination for Russian visitors over the longer term, accounting for more than 90% of inbound arrivals in 2026.

In addition to the volume of inbound visitors to the UAE, the average spend of Russian travellers is expected to grow significantly between 2021 and 2026, increasing by $85 to reach approximately $1,280 per person during this period. Consequently, the Russian market is on course to surpass $1 billion for the Emirates within the next four years.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME – Arabian Travel Market, said: “The latest figures from Colliers demonstrate that visitors from Russia are playing – and will continue to play – an important role for our region’s travel sector, especially when it comes to the UAE.

“The fact that Dubai was among the first destinations to open its borders to Russian travellers without the need to quarantine has no doubt been a significant factor in the sustained levels of visitation, with 296,000 inbound arrivals to the emirate in 2020.

“Encouragingly, 2021 numbers look set to surpass that figure, with Dubai having welcomed 256,000 visitors from Russia as of the third quarter of the year.”

The Russian market’s average length of stay (ALoS) saw a year-on-year uptick of 74.5% in Q4 2020, growing to 8.2 nights from the 4.7 nights recorded during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Despite ALoS expected to decline gradually in the future as new regional destinations continue to emerge, Colliers researchers predict that drivers such as Expo 2020 Dubai and spillover demand from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will boost inbound arrivals from Russia by 170% in the short term.

“In light of this forecast, the Russian travel and tourism market will be of great interest to ATM 2022 attendees. As such, we will have a dedicated seminar on the Russian market, which will tackle key content on this lucrative market, as well as focusing on attracting leading buyers through our hosted buyer programme,” added Curtis.

The session is organised by Destination of the World News and focuses on the luxury end of the market.

Now in its 29th year and working in collaboration with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) – formerly the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) – ATM show highlights in 2022 will include, among others, destination summits focused on the key source markets of Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.

Travel Forward, the leading global event for travel technology, will shine a spotlight on next-generation innovations for tourism and hospitality. ATM buyer forums and speed networking events will take place during the four days of the show.

After joining us remotely for ATM 2021, this year will see both the ARIVALDubai@ATM forum and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) participate live in Dubai for the first time ever. The dedicated ARIVALDubai@ATM forum will cover current and future trends for tour operators and attractions, focusing on growing business through marketing, technology, distribution, thought leadership and executive-level connections. GBTA, the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organisation, will deliver the latest business travel content, research and education to help drive the sector’s ongoing recovery and support growth in business travel.

ATM will play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week, a festival of events dedicated to enabling travel professionals from all over the world to collaborate and shape the recovery of the Middle East travel industry through exhibitions, conferences, breakfast briefings, awards, product launches and networking events.

In line with the UAE government’s forward-thinking transition to a 4.5-day, Monday-to-Friday workweek, this year’s edition of ATM will commence on Monday 9 May.

The UAE remains one of the most Covid-secure countries on the planet, with consistently low case rates and robust measures to ensure tourists’ safety at every stage of their visit, from arrival to departure. Like its neighbouring emirates, Dubai is committed to maintaining the highest hygiene and safety standards. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has endorsed its pandemic management, awarding the city a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp.