Dubai‘s tourism sector has demonstrated remarkable growth in the first half of 2024, welcoming 9.31 million international overnight visitors, the Dubai Media Office (DMO) reported.
This figure represents a 9 percent increase from the 8.55 million tourist arrivals recorded in the same period of 2023, according to data released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).
This surge in visitor numbers follows a landmark year in 2023, when the city hosted 17.15 million international overnight visitors. The current trajectory suggests Dubai is on course for a record-breaking performance in 2024.
Dubai tourism soars in first half of 2024
“Guided by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s strategic vision, Dubai’s tourism sector continues to demonstrate its robust growth potential and attractive proposition for global travellers. With its sustained growth, Dubai is setting the standard for cities worldwide, in line with the objective of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to establish Dubai as one of the world’s top urban economies,” Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai said.
“The strong tourism growth achieved by Dubai in the first half of 2024 is testament to the city’s ability to foster productive public-private partnerships and build extensive global networks of collaboration. With every year, Dubai continues to consolidate its status as a frontrunner in the global tourism landscape and grow in popularity as an international destination. We remain committed to maintaining this successful trajectory and boosting the tourism sector’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP. By further developing our infrastructure and providing exceptional services for visitors, we aim to set new benchmarks and records in 2024,” Sheikh Hamdan added.
The Crown Prince urged industry stakeholders to expand partnerships with key markets, explore new opportunities, and enhance Dubai’s value offering by creating rich and memorable experiences.
Moreover, the growth aligns with the ambitious goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure. This agenda aims to establish Dubai as one of the world’s top urban economies.
“The significant increase in visitation numbers in the first half of 2024 reflects the vision and leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and aligns with the D33 Agenda’s objective to make Dubai the world’s best city to visit, live, and work in. This robust performance, reinforced by global recognition, validates the ambition and agility driving Dubai’s tourism and wider economy. Our success stems from a diversified market approach, strong public-private partnerships, liberal visa policies, and alternative growth pathways, all catalysts for the continued surge in both leisure and business visitation, along with increasing levels of investment and inflows of global talent. Looking ahead, we are committed to sustaining and building upon this trajectory, leveraging diverse source markets to enhance tourism’s contribution to Dubai’s GDP,” Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) added.
Dubai’s appeal as a tourist destination was further validated when it was named the No.1 global destination for an unprecedented third successive year in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards in January 2024.
The city was also named the Middle East’s leading destination by the World Travel Awards, while Dubai International Airport and Mina Rashid were named the Middle East’s leading airport and leading cruise port for 2024 respectively.
A breakdown of visitor numbers shows that the GCC and MENA regions accounted for a combined 26 percent of overall visitors, with 1.27 million (14 percent) and 1.09 million (12 percent) arrivals respectively.
Western Europe contributed 20 percent of visitors with 1.89 million in total, while South Asia accounted for 17 percent with 1.62 million visitors. The CIS and Eastern Europe region brought in 1.37 million visitors (15 percent).
The hotel sector in Dubai continued to perform well across all hospitality metrics. The average occupancy rate stood at 78.7 percent, a slight increase from 77.7 percent in the same period of 2023. Occupied room nights increased by 3 percent to 21.35 million, while the average daily rate (ADR) rose to AED558, a 4 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 6 percent to AED439.
The total number of available rooms in Dubai reached 150,879 by the end of June 2024, up from 148,689 rooms in June 2023. The number of establishments stood at 823, an increase from 810 at the same point last year.
Dubai’s position as a world gastronomy capital was reinforced with the release of the third edition of the Michelin Guide Dubai in July.
The guide featured 106 restaurants, up from 90 in 2023, including four that were awarded two stars, 15 with one star, three with a green star, 18 Bib Gourmands, and 69 Michelin-selected restaurants.
The cruise sector also saw significant growth. In the 2023/2024 winter season from October to April, Dubai welcomed more than 132 ship calls between Mina Rashid and Dubai Harbour.
In March, Dubai joined forces with other regional maritime and tourism authorities to formalise the strategic Cruise Arabia alliance, aimed at promoting the Arabian Gulf as a cruise ship destination globally.
Dubai’s status as a global entertainment hub was bolstered by a year-round calendar of business, leisure, and sporting events.
Major events held during the first half of the year included the Dubai Shopping Festival, Chinese New Year, Ramadan in Dubai, Eid in Dubai, the Great Online Sale, and Dubai Food Festival.
The ongoing Dubai Summer Surprises is one of Dubai’s major shopping and entertainment events, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading summer destination for families.
Business events also played a crucial role in attracting visitors. Major industry exhibitions and shows hosted in Dubai so far this year include Gulfood (150,000 attendees), Arabian Travel Market (46,000 attendees), and the landmark 30th Dubai International Boat Show (more than 1,000 brands and 200 boats).
In line with the goals of the D33 Agenda, Dubai is committed to enhancing the quality of life for People of Determination. Major attractions like Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and Jumeirah Beach have comprehensive accessibility measures for physical and hidden disabilities.
Dubai is also on track to become the first Certified Autism Destination™ in the Eastern Hemisphere. Attractions such as Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Ice Rink, The Green Planet, Motiongate, Woo-hoo, and Atlantis Aquaventure have successfully obtained Certified Autism Center™ (CAC) status.
Sustainability remains a key focus for Dubai’s tourism sector. The Dubai Can initiative, launched in February 2022, has seen the reduction in usage of an equivalent of more than 20.4 million 500 ml single-use plastic water bottles and 10.5 million litres of water dispensed via 50 water fountains located throughout the city.
Another major milestone for Dubai’s sustainability drive in H1 2024 was the launch of Dubai Reef’s pilot reef modules in April. Part of Dubai Can, Dubai Reef is set to be the world’s largest marine reef development project, with 20,000 modules to be deployed across 600 square kilometres of Dubai’s waters by 2027.
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