Dubai Authority announces an 18% international tourist increase in 2024
The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai has released statistics that provide insight into the state of the tourism industry and the number of foreign tourists visiting the city.
Dubai experienced a significant rise in foreign visitor visits in January and February 2024, with 3.67 million arrivals as opposed to 3.1 million during the same time the previous year, indicating a growth rate of more than 18%.
With over 773 thousand foreign visitors during the aforementioned months, Western Europe emerged as the leading source of visitors to Dubai, accounting for 21% of all visitors. The region of South Asia trailed closely behind, accounting for 17% of all visitors, or 604,000 people.
The Gulf Cooperation Council region ranked second in terms of visitor origin, accounting for around 15% of the total arrivals, with approximately 549 thousand visitors. Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Eastern Europe collectively represented 14% of visitors, totaling 530 thousand international tourists. The Middle East and North Africa region comprised 12% of visitors, with 448 thousand tourists, while North and Southeast Asia accounted for 9% of the total, hosting approximately 340 thousand international tourists.
In terms of accommodation, Dubai boasted more than 151.2 thousand hotel rooms across 826 hotel establishments by the end of February 2024, compared to 148.4 thousand rooms within 813 establishments in the same period the previous year. The overall hotel occupancy rate in Dubai reached 87% during January and February 2024, up from 84% in the corresponding period in 2023.
Luxury five-star hotels dominated the market, representing 35% of the total hotel room inventory, with approximately 52 thousand rooms across 161 establishments. Four-star hotels followed closely, comprising 29% of the market share, with around 43.7 thousand rooms across 197 properties. Meanwhile, three- to one-star hotels collectively accounted for 19% of the hotel market, offering over 29 thousand rooms across 275 establishments.
Hotel apartments also made a significant contribution, offering more than 26.3 thousand rooms across 193 establishments, occupying about 17% of the total hotel market in Dubai. The average length of stay for guests was recorded at 3.8 hotel nights, with approximately 7.78 million overnight stays booked during the period, marking a growth rate of about 7%. The average revenue per available hotel room reached 578 dirhams.
