Dubai could welcome 62,000 Romanian tourists this year

Dubai, the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, expects some 62,000 Romanian tourists this year, up 20% on 2016, according to the Dubai Tourism and Marketing Department (DTCM), quoted by News.ro. Last year, 51,300 Romanian tourists visited Dubai, almost 10% more than in 2015. “This year, we expect a 20% increase in the number of [Romanian] tourists. It is an ambitious target we have set for ourselves, but we are confident we will reach it,” Nader Albastaki, senior director with DTCM, told News.ro. Almost 15 million tourists visited Dubai in 2016, up 5% compared to the previous year. According to DTCM, the increase comes from a diversified offer of tourist attractions, many tailored for families with children. Dubai is home to worldwide known attractions such as the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel or the Dubai Mall, the largest shopping and entertainment destination in the world. Some of its newest attractions are the IMG Worlds of Adventure and Legoland Dubai entertainment parks, which opened in 2016. Dubai plans to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2020. New attraction for tourists: Secret tunnel to be opened at Dracula’s Castle in Romania this summer Bulgaria expects 11% increase in number of Romanian tourists editor@romania-insider.com