In yet another remarkable annual performance, Dubai welcomed 1,327,000 UK visitors from January to December 2024, a 14% year-over-year increase that surpasses the previous year of 1,169,000 in 2023, according to data from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
On an international level, Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international overnight visitors from January to December 2024, a 9% year-over-year increase that surpasses the previous record of 17.15 million in 2023.
Marking consecutive years of record-setting growth for the city, as the UK remains a top source market, the achievement reinforces the city’s position as one of the world’s leading travel destinations, and demonstrates the success of its strategic approach in expanding the sector and investing in infrastructure and talent to meet growing demand.
Showcasing a must-visit destination
DET continued to work closely with partners across the public and private sectors to develop and enhance Dubai’s diverse offerings, ensuring the city delivered world-class infrastructure, exceptional service at all touchpoints, and experiences catering to all budgets and preferences.
This was complemented by a highly successful diversified market strategy in more than 60 countries, propelling Dubai’s outstanding industry performance in 2024. Maintaining continuous dialogue with domestic stakeholders and more than 3,000 international partners, DET’s year-round marketing activities showcased the city as not only a must-visit destination, but also one that continues to attract permanent residents from around the world.
As a well-connected global destination strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, Dubai continued to attract visitors from across the globe. From a regional perspective, North East & South East Asia combined delivered the highest rate of growth of 24%, followed by Africa (+20%) and CIS & Eastern Europe (+16%). Visitors from Western Europe also grew significantly, up 14%, while maintaining its position as the number one source region for international visitors to Dubai.
New openings spur hotel sector performance
As a core element of the destination experience, hotels contributed significantly to the city’s performance, with the steady growth in inventory balancing the respective demands of both guests and hospitality stakeholders. Spurred by a series of high-profile new openings – including, but not limited to, One&Only One Za’abeel, SIRO One Za’abeel, and The Lana Dorchester Collection – Dubai’s hotel inventory at the end of December 2024 comprised 154,016 total available rooms across 832 establishments, compared to 150,291 rooms at 821 establishments in 2023.
According to STR data, Dubai is significantly ahead of other major global peer cities such as New York, Bangkok, Paris and Singapore, and nearly on par with London, in terms of total room inventory. Furthermore, a robust pipeline of new properties, such as the upcoming Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab and the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, will ensure the city is able to cater to ever-growing demand from both visitors and residents. Performance on key hotel metrics remained strong in 2024, with average occupancy for the hotel sector growing to 78.2%, up from 77.4% in 2023, and occupied room nights rising to a high of 43.03 million, representing 3% growth compared to 41.70 million in 2023. Reflecting the hospitality sector’s commitment to cater to all budgets and preferences, the Average Daily Rate (ADR) of AED538 only rose marginally against the ADR of AED536 in 2023, and according to STR Data, Dubai provided guests with more attractive average rates than global peers including Paris, New York, London and Singapore. Meanwhile, the Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) of AED421 in 2024 was a 2% increase on the AED415 the previous year.
His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Dubai’s remarkable tourism performance in 2024 reflects the sustained commitment and strategic efforts of our extensive network of partners and stakeholders, and the guidance of our city’s visionary leadership. Our market strategy, built on bespoke and diversified campaigns, has been pivotal in showcasing Dubai’s diverse tourism offerings to the world, and we have leveraged strong partnerships with private and public sector organisations and individuals to enhance our global reach and promote Dubai as a leading hub for business, leisure, and innovation. These collaborations have not only intensified our international efforts, but also made Dubai the destination of choice for new and returning visitors, with an increasing number of them finding the city appealing to relocate to, on a more permanent basis. A powerful sense of community among the almost 200 nationalities living in Dubai is also seeing more residents advocate for the city, inviting and hosting their friends and family to experience it for themselves. As we aim to build on this momentum throughout 2025, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of service and continuously innovating to exceed expectations, whether for tourists visiting for the first time, or for loyal repeat guests and residents exploring the city and enjoying its lifestyle offerings.”
What’s next for Dubai’s tourism sector?
Extensive infrastructure developments and strategic plans will enhance Dubai’s tourism sector in 2025 and beyond, creating pathways for further growth, and ensuring both residents and visitors continue to enjoy an unrivalled experience in the city.
Work has started on the new AED128 billion passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which will be the largest in the world when fully operational and will ultimately enable the airport to handle a passenger capacity of 260 million annually. Aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and supporting initiatives to transform Dubai into a ‘20-Minute City’, Dubai Metro’s Blue Line extension will stretch 30 kilometres, connect 14 stations and serve an expected population of about one million people.
DET is also actively engaging with investors and operators in the hospitality space, to explore opportunities to bring more brands and offerings into the city, further diversifying the range of options available to visitors and residents, and across new and developing districts, including Palm Jebel Ali and Dubai South. This will build on Dubai’s existing status as a magnet for investments, with the city ranking number one globally for attracting greenfield FDI projects into the tourism sector in H1 2024, according to the Financial Times Ltd’s ‘fDi Markets’ data.
Dubai will also continue to leverage innovation and new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) to create personalised and immersive experiences for new and repeat visitors. The Visit Dubai mobile app uses AI to offer tailored recommendations, while virtual tours allow tourists to explore attractions before their trip. AI is also being used for biometric hotel check-ins and automated immigration processes at DXB, enhancing the overall travel experience.
