Dubai draws world’s tourists amid coronavirus curbs elsewhere, as Emirates superjumbos fly again
- Dubai’s restaurants, hotels, beach clubs and cocktail bars are all open for business, while guided tours are continuing, albeit in smaller groups
- A negative PCR test in their home countries is generally all tourists need to enter the emirate, where coronavirus cases are on the rise
As much of the world tightens lockdowns to stem coronavirus, Dubai has flung its doors open, branding itself as a sunny, quarantine-free escape – despite a sharp rise in cases.
While mask-wearing and social distancing are strictly enforced, life in the tourism-reliant emirate looks much like normal, with its restaurants, hotels and mega-malls open for business.
Images of sports stars and television personalities enjoying life at beach clubs and cocktail bars have flooded social media – sometimes to disapproval back home.
Emirates airline, which restored its network to about three-quarters of pre-pandemic levels, is again operating A380 superjumbos – the world’s largest commercial airliner – ferrying in visitors from Britain and Russia.
Russian tourist Dmitriy Melnikov, said he came to Dubai because his choices were otherwise limited, with many destinations in partial or full lockdown. “I am not scared,” the 30-year-old said. “If you look at people here, everyone has a mask, and I think it’s cool.”
