Discounts and special offers for airfare and hotel stays boosted air traffic at Dubai International Airport 7% last month. More than 3.21 million visitors passed through the worlds’ sixth busiest airport last month, compared to 3 million visitors for the same period last year. Dubai International Airport and its largest tenant, Emirates are using deep discounts to stimulate spending and bring more tourists in. The global recession has caused air traffic figures to decline around the globe, so Dubai’s increased traffic is remarkable.
Dubai’s economy is based mostly on trade and tourism, which are severely affected by the global economic recession. CEO of Dubai International Airport Paul Griffiths said “The fact that we continue to record positive growth even during a time when international travel has been severely affected by the global economic situation is a testimony to the attraction that Dubai holds internationally for business and tourism.”