Dubai breaks record for first-half international visitor arrivals

Dubai’s tourism sector broke more records in the first half of 2024, with the city welcoming 9.31 million international overnight visitors in the first six months of the year, up 9% on the previous benchmark set in H1, 2023, according to the latest data published by Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

The increase means Dubai is well on track to achieving another record-breaking year for international arrivals in 2024.

The GCC and MENA regions drove the increase in visitor numbers, with both source markets together accounting for 2.36 million visitors, representing 26% of the total share. Western Europe contributed 20% of all visitors, with 1.89 million arrivals.

South Asia was another significant source market, with 1.62 million visitors (17%), followed by the CIS and Eastern Europe regions, which together brought in 1.37 million visitors (15%).

Arrivals from North-East and South-East Asia also surged, with the fast-growing region accounting for 896,000 visitors or 10% of the total, up from just 8% in January.

Other fast-growing source markets included the Americas with 617,000 visitors (7%), Africa with 404,000 (4%), and Australasia with 154,000 (2%).

Dubai's hotel sector once again benefitted from the increase in arrivals, with the industry posting gains across all key performance metrics.

Occupied room nights rose by 3% year on year (YoY), reaching 21.35 million by the end of H1, 2024, compared to 20.73 million a year earlier, boosting the average occupancy rate by 1% YoY to 78.7%, a figure that ranked among the highest worldwide.

The average daily rate (ADR) climbed to AED 558, marking a 4% increase from the same period last year, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) rose 6% from AED 415 to AED 439. The city’s hotel guestroom inventory also expanded to 150,879, up from 148,689 in June 2023. Additionally, the number of hotels operating in the city rose to 823, up from 810 in the previous year.

Commenting on the results, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “With its sustained growth, Dubai is setting the standard for cities worldwide… [the city’s performance] 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. By further developing our infrastructure and providing exceptional services for visitors, we aim to set new benchmarks and records in 2024,” HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum added.