Dubai on track for new tourism record after welcoming 16.79M arrivals in year to November

Dubai has set another new benchmark for tourism arrivals, with the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) showing the city welcomed 16.79 million international visitors in the first 11 months of the year.

The result marked a 9% increase compared to the 15.37 million visitors recorded during the same period in 2023.

November also marked the busiest month of 2024 in terms of arrivals, with 1.83 million visitors, a significant rise from the 1.67 million arrivals in October and 1.36 million in September. These figures highlight Dubai’s growing appeal as a year-round business and leisure destination.

Diverse source markets fuel growth

The growth in visitor numbers was driven by a diverse mix of source markets. Western Europe led the way with 3.3 million visitors, accounting for 20% of all arrivals. South Asia followed closely with 2.85 million visitors, accounting for 17% of the total, while the GCC region contributed 2.5 million visitors, or 15%.

CIS and Eastern Europe delivered 2.35 million visitors (14% of the total), and the Middle East and North Africa accounted for 1.933 million visitors, representing 12%.

Additionally, Northeast and Southeast Asia contributed 1.62 million visitors, or 10% of the total.

Hotel sector reaches new heights

The boom in arrivals continues to benefit the city’s hotel industry. The number of overnight stays rose to 39.19 million, marking a 3% year-on-year (YoY) increase.

The Average Daily Rate (ADR) increased 2% YoY to AED 520, while Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR) rose by 3%, reaching AED 405 compared to AED 394 the previous year.

To meet this rise in demand, Dubai’s hotel inventory expanded to 153,390 guestrooms across 828 establishments, up from 149,685 rooms in 820 establishments in November 2023. Visitors’ average length of stay remained steady at 3.6 nights.

The YoY rise in visitors over the course of the year puts Dubai firmly on track to set a new annual tourism benchmark for 2024. DET is expected to release this data in the coming weeks.