Tourism

Recent strong performance of the retail sector looks to indicate that Dubai’s tourism sector could be entering a period of sustained growth, despite the regional impact of the Arab Spring. Traditionally, these two sectors have been closely linked, with millions of tourists coming to the emirate each year to experience what has become known as the “shopping capital of the Middle East”.

As part of a long-term strategy to diversify the economy by capitalising on the emirate’s natural beauty, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is moving forward with ambitious plans to rebrand itself as a tourism destination. By 2021, RAK expects around 20% of its GDP will be generated by tourism-related activities.

Thailand’s tourism industry is showing early signs of bouncing back from last year’s floods, with figures confirming a significant year-on-year (y-o-y) rise in visitor numbers for the first 11 months of 2011. Statistics issued by the Department of Tourism show tourist arrivals were up 21.7% on the same period in 2010, which should go some way to allaying fears that the industry could suffer long-term fall-out from the floods.

An array of new tactics – including continued infrastructure investment, a marketing drive and a focus on growing niches – could prove key in unlocking Ghana’s considerable tourism potential. The West African country currently has a moderately sized but lively tourism sector that sees around a modest 1m visitors per year, mostly from North America and Europe.