Like many holiday destinations, Dubai sees the number of tourists far outweigh the number of residents during the height of the travel season. However, tourist industry experts boast that the UAE city will never face an overtourism crisis like those seen in Venice and Barcelona. Major European destinations in Italy, Spain and Greece have faced overtourism crises this summer, breaking out in anti-tourism protests.
Many local residents are fed up with the pressure that tourism puts on their lives, with the cost of living and the day-to-day crowds. More than 17 million tourists flock to Dubai every year for its luxury shopping, lively nightlife, and relaxing atmosphere. Despite the huge tourist numbers, Dubai has not seen the same response from its 3.
6 million residents compared to its European counterparts. Tourism experts said that the key reason Dubai will never see scenes of overcrowding like in major European destinations is down to city planning. Speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai, experts remarked that the tourist hotspots are all spread out evenly across the city.
Aradhana Khowala, CEO and founder of Aptamind Partners, said: "Dubai doesn’t have the problem of overtourism. The city has done a fantastic job of not getting to a point where everyone is crowding around the same spot. "In Venice, every tourist wants to do a gondola ride.
However, the canal has a limited capacity and can fit in a limited number of gondolas without a traffic jam." She continued.
