Research released by Arabian Travel Market (ATM) reveals that the UAE is set to welcome 8.92 million visitors from top five source markets by 2023.

The Expo 2020 and its legacy, District 2020, are expected to have a positive long-term influence on the growth of inbound arrivals to the UAE from the country’s top five source markets between 2018 and 2023, according to the data.

Looking at the country’s top three source markets, the number of Indian visitors travelling to the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 7% to 3.01 million in 2023, while arrivals from Saudi Arabia and the UK will witness an increase of 2% and 1% to 1.76 million and 1.28 million respectively over the same period.

The UAE’s top source market rankings are expected to remain mostly unchanged post-Expo 2020; however, the latest research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM, reveals the Russian and Chinese source markets will show above average annual growth rates for inbound passenger arrivals.

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Arabian Travel Market exhibition director ME Danielle Curtis said in a statement: "The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12% to 1.6 million in 2023, while the number of Chinese tourists visiting the UAE will increase at a CAGR of 8% to 1.27 million over the same period, according to the data."

Curtis said: “Taking a look at the other key drivers, besides Expo 2020, Russian visitors to the UAE have grown in recent years, due to the introduction of additional and direct airline routes. Russian visitors also now benefit from relaxed UAE visa regulations and rising oil prices are helping to strengthen the Russian rouble, making the UAE more affordable.

“Regarding Chinese visitors, according to some analysts China’s middle-class will swell to 338 million households by 2020, a 13% increase in just five years. Moreover, by 2030 35% of China’s 1.4 billion population will have $10,000 of annual disposable income, up 10% from 2018. Therefore, the growth potential for both markets is significant.”

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