Dubai welcomed 7.28 million international overnight visitors last year, representing 32 per cent year-over-year growth on the figure for 2020. In contrast, the number of international guests the emirate welcomed in 2019 wasn't nearly as high as it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. In spite of this, the city experienced a very successful year last year, setting it up for sustainable growth in the coming years. The Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism (DET) reports that international visitor numbers in Dubai have surpassed 3.4 million visitors in the fourth quarter of 2021, surpassing 74% of pre-pandemic levels of fourth quarter 2019. This bodes well for Dubai's hotels in the fourth quarter to surpass pre-pandemic levels. "This achievement also shows that we are on our way to becoming the world's best city for living and working," commented DET director general Helal Saeed Al Marri. “Dubai continuously set precedents in the global tourism recovery, demonstratin