According to Amac News, Influential local and international partnerships, creative and targeted global campaigns and major events were key factors that propelled Dubai’s tourism industry to another record-breaking year in 2024.
This increase in visitors is in line with the goals of the Dubai Economic Plan (D33), which aims to double the size of Dubai’s economy by 2033.
Dubai is also known as the first city in the world to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in tourism.
The development of key infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, will help to create a platform for strategic growth and optimize the destination experience for all visitors and residents.
The DET’s diversified market strategy in over 60 countries has led to the emirate’s outstanding performance in the tourism industry in 2024. The ministry has identified Dubai as an attractive destination for visitors and permanent residents with over 3,000 international partners and domestic stakeholders.
Regionally, visitors from North East and South East Asia led the way with a growth of 24%, followed by Africa with 20% and the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe with 16%.
Visitors from Western Europe also grew significantly with 14% and continue to be the largest source of international visitors to Dubai.
The performance of hotels in Dubai has also contributed significantly to the increase in visitor numbers. At the end of December 2024, Dubai’s hotel inventory reached 154,016 rooms across 832 properties, up from 150,291 rooms across 821 properties in 2023.
According to STR data, Dubai significantly outperformed other major global cities such as New York, Bangkok, Paris and Singapore in terms of room inventory, and was almost on par with London.
Performance across key hotel metrics remained strong, with average occupancy growing to 78.2% (compared to 77.4% in 2023) and occupancy nights increasing to 43.03 million, representing 3% growth from 41.70 million last year.