Dubai welcomes record visitor numbers in 2023

December 18, 2023

Dubai has seen record visitor numbers, witnessed high hotel occupancy and been recognised with a number of tourism achievements in the past year.

A review of the sector shows that tourism in the Emirate in 2023 outperformed pre-pandemic results welcoming a record 13.9 million visitors from January to October 2023 compared to 13.5 million during the corresponding period in 2019.

In the first 10 months of the year so far, the Gulf Cooperation Council and MENA (Middle Wats and North Africa) regions accounted for 29% of international inbound tourism to Dubai, with Western Europe contributing 19%, and visitors from South Asia totalling 18%.

Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS contributed a combined 13% share of total visitation, a notable increase from the 8% achieved over the same period in 2019.

North Asia and Southeast Asia contributed a further 8%, up from 4% in 2022.

Average hotel occupancy in the city between January to October this year has reached 76%, up from 74% in the same period in 2019.

Attending the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism’s City Briefing, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, advised that tourism is a vital pillar of Dubai’s economy and is playing a key role in achieving the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

Sheikh Mohammed stated “Dubai’s robust partnerships with leading travel and hospitality companies are key to fostering the growth of this crucial sector, both on a local and global scale.

“Hospitality is an integral part of the Emirati cultural fabric, a value deeply embedded in our ethos.

“Dubai remains dedicated to enhancing the infrastructure and services and making the strategic investments needed to provide an exceptional experience for visitors from across the world.”

The bi-annual City Briefing for stakeholders and partners, organised by the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), further highlighted Dubai’s transformative role in championing the ongoing evolution of global tourism, in line with the city’s ambitious Economic Agenda D33, which seeks to consolidate the city’s position as one of the top three global cities for business and leisure.

Participants at this event, presided over by Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General of DET, were also briefed on the D33 Agenda, the 10-year roadmap for Dubai’s development that was launched at the beginning of 2023

The City Briefing event, which deep dives into the latest destination developments and discusses the future outlook for the tourism industry, was attended by more than 1,200 industry executives and professionals.

At the City Briefing, DET highlighted Dubai’s position as a top global liveability hub with a string of accolades reaffirming its position as the best city in the world to visit, live and work in.

The event also highlighted notable achievements such as the city’s recognition as the No.1 global destination for the second year in a row in the Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards 2023.

As the UAE’s Year of Sustainability draws to a close, the city’s commitment to developing maritime sustainability was highlighted with the recently announced Dubai Reef project.

This is also exemplified by initiatives like the citywide sustainability movement, ‘Dubai Can’, which demonstrates the city’s pledge to support marine life, enhance marine biodiversity and further aspirations to establish it as a leading global sustainable city.

With sustainability a key pillar of its growth strategy, DET also shared updates on various initiatives aligned with Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, the D33 Agenda, the Net Zero 2050 initiative and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

DET currently leads Dubai Sustainable Tourism, an initiative that supports the tourism sector to achieve its sustainability goals through various programmes and activities including the 19 Sustainability Requirements.

Images: Dubai's Atlantis Aquaventure (top) and Dubai Safari Park (below).

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