- Title: Dubai hotels ready to welcome foreign visitors as emirate reopens
- Date: 7th July 2020
- Summary: DUBAI, UAE (JULY 7, 2020) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF ATLANTIS RESORT RECEPTION VARIOUS OF WORKER SANITIZING ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ATLANTIS RESORT DUBAI, TIM KELLY, SAYING: "Bookings have started to increase, obviously with the international destination and access started to pick up, that has been really good. Our weekends have been really similar to prior years, out mid-week has been a little bit soft. So, we are looking forward to hopefully pick up with the international business." VARIOUS OF WORKER WIPING DOWN BATHROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ATLANTIS RESORT DUBAI, TIM KELLY, SAYING: "Even when we were closed, we were doing a lot of deep cleaning, a lot of task force work, painting, going through the facility, making sure that it looks as good as it possibly look as this moment arrives where we open to the international community." VARIOUS OF LIFEGUARDS AT BEACH VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN SWIMMING POOL PEOPLE LOOKING AT LARGE AQUARIUM FISH AND DIVERS IN LARGE AQUARIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR ATLANTIS RESORT DUBAI, TIM KELLY, SAYING: "Obviously there are a lot of elements that are tied to the quarantine for individuals that are coming here to return to their home countries. So, I think once those government restrictions are lifted as well, this is going to have a very good impact on Dubai as well as Atlantis." VARIOUS OF WORKER SANITIZING ROOM
- Embargoed: 21st July 2020 15:07
- Keywords: Coronavirus Covid-19 Dubai Health Hotels Tourism UAE
- Location: DUBAI, UAE
- City: DUBAI, UAE
- Country: UAE
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001CLT9E31
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In Dubai's Atlantis resort, located at the tip of the emirate's iconic Palm Jumeirah Island, workers wearing face masks clean cushions, sofas and king-size beds in luxury suites that have largely been vacant since the coronavirus pandemic.
The resort and seven other hotels in the regional tourism hub contacted by Reuters are seeing business pick up as Dubai reopened to foreign visitors on Tuesday (July 7), but do not expect a significant increase before the fourth quarter of 2020.
"Bookings have started to increase," Tim Kelly, managing director at Atlantis Dubai, said, adding he expected a "solid" fourth quarter for the resort, known for its giant aquarium and water slides.
The resort closed in March as the United Arab Emirates imposed a coronavirus lockdown and reopened in mid-May when restrictions started easing gradually. Curfews were fully lifted late last month, allowing commercial businesses and public venues to reopen.
The coronavirus outbreak delivered a blow to Dubai, one of the most visited cities globally, where tourism accounts for more than 11 percent of the GDP. Dozens of hotels closed while occupancy rates fell to less than 10 percent in others.
The UAE, of which Dubai is a part, has not yet announced the reopening of its borders to foreign visitors on a federal level. The Gulf state halted commercial passenger flights in March, but last month resumed regular outbound flights for citizens and residents.
(Production: Abdelhadi Ramahi, Tarek Fahmy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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