I'm here now to find out just how Dubai's most famous attractions are getting back to business

after the emirate reopened its borders to tourists amid the ongoing global pandemic.

After closing its borders for more than three months, Dubai became one of the first destinations

to welcome international tourists again on July 7.

But will potential visitors be convinced to venture out?

Where are you guys from?

Turkey!

Turkey. Are you visiting Dubai as tourists?

No, no.

Is this your first time skydiving?

Yes.

Are you excited?

Yes!

I'm at Dubai's iconic Skydive Dubai, which has reopened after months closure

due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Skydive Dubai is ranked one of the best places to jump in the world, and it's a major draw

for visitors to the UAE.

Before the pandemic, tourism accounted for more than 12% of the UAE's GDP.

But over the course of the lockdown, tourism was basically non-existent.

In 2016, tourism contributed to more than 600,000 jobs in the country.

Among them is professional skydiver Cornelia Mihai, who returned to work after months of lockdown.

The lockdown, it kind of proved to us that we are very lucky to be outside, in the air, in free fall,

We knew it's necessary, once we're able to get back to what we love,

we're very grateful for what we do, and we're just happy to be back in the sky.

Summer has always been the low season for Dubai.

It's very hot, not many customers, not many visitors so it's very difficult to compare

the numbers, but I would say that due to the situation they are lower, but it's picking up.

That's good.

The UAE was awarded the global "Safe Travel" stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council

for following global health and hygiene protocols, and it's clear, operations have adapted

to the new normal of Covid-19.

Masks are required everywhere and temperature checks are mandatory.

Since Dubai reopened to international tourists, we definitely see an increase of customers.

We had a big group from China, some tourists from Germany, some were from the U.K.,

we had a group from Russia , so, it's good. Tourists are coming back, and that gives

us confidence for the future.

To see for myself why visitors were braving Dubai's summer heat to come here, I signed up

for a skydive of my own.

Let's do it, alright?

That was beautiful, that was so cool. Man, let do it again.

Skydiving may not be for the faint of heart, but it isn't the only activity offering

amazing views of the city.

And with that I'm off to my next destination, perhaps the most iconic symbol of Dubai,

the Burj Khalifa.

For years, the UAE has worked to diversify its economy by investing in tourism mega-projects

like the world's largest Warner Brothers indoor theme park and a World Expo.

That was been delayed because of the pandemic.

In the first five months of 2020, worldwide tourism fell by more than half over

the same period in 2019, amounting to 300 million fewer tourists and $320 billion

in lost international tourism revenue. That's more than three times what the industry lost

in the 2009 Global Recession.

The world's tallest building is now having to get creative to attract visitors

and in the current climate, that means enticing Dubai's residents to become tourists in their own city.

And how does the Burj plan to do that?

Offer something a little different. Like yoga, 124 stories up.

The Burj Khalifa has teamed up with a local fitness app to offer yoga classes

with a bird's eye view of the city.

And they've become so popular among residents, thanks to photos shared widely on Instagram

and Facebook, that they started being offered daily.

The Burj Khalifa is a staggering more than 160 stories tall, with the highest viewing deck on the 148th floor.

Staff here tell me that they're actually seeing several hundred visitors per day on weekends,

mostly Dubai residents taking advantage of the lack of crowds.

Despite the tough outlook for 2020, tourism experts in the Middle East expect a faster recovery for the region,

with international tourism picking up by the first quarter of 2021.

And domestic tourism is expected to resume faster, with venues advertising local discounts

and new safety measures to get people back out.

And that means making guests feel comfortable, even when out of their comfort zones.

In this case, being launched off the top of a building.

XLine Dubai Marina is the longest urban zipline in the world, and I'll be flying at

50 miles per hour over the Dubai Marina.

For James Pritchard, manager of operations, reopening safely is a top priority.

We work very closely with Dubai municipality's health and safety team to make sure that

everything is up to scratch, making sure we keep the hygiene standards.

Health and safety is always high on our list. We push people off a building daily,

so we have to make sure everything's safe.

Where are you guys from?

France. France!

France. Wow.

We make sure everything is sanitized, disinfected between all the customers,

the bus that brings you up here, we sanitize it after everybody as well.

We're seeing some tourists come through now, in the first month it was all Dubai residents

which was great to see.

I'm a little nervous, not gonna lie!

As the travel industry hunkers down for some challenging months ahead, time will tell if

Dubai's larger-than-life attractions can bring business back to pre-pandemic levels.

That was awesome!

So maybe this is the future of tourism, at least for now. Residents trading in overseas flights

for local adventures, exploring what's in their very own backyards.