Dubai is one of the few destinations that remains largely open for visitors, albeit with tighter restrictions on some parts of the tourism sector. Dubai tourism authorities met with key stakeholders in the tourism sector in early March, to discuss the sector’s outlook, and help with policy measures to address challenges. The meeting is a good sign of policy engagement, and we stress the importance of policies in navigating the sector through challenges. Dubai’s new masterplan for 2040 will provide long term guidance for the industry as it addresses its competitiveness in a very challenging global travel landscape. The sector’s performance this year will be impacted by the balance of variables that will drive tourist flows into Dubai, with global travel restrictions a defining variable that will remain dependent on the dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout.