Dubai welcomed 5.18 million international overnight visitors from January to March 2024, an 11 percent rise over the 4.67 million tourist arrivals during the same period in 2023, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) said at the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) on Monday.
Following a milestone year in 2023, with Dubai receiving a record 17.15 million international overnight visitors, the city’s tourism industry is building on the momentum in the first quarter of the year. This growth also aligns with the ambitious goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global city for business and leisure.
Commending the achievement, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, said: “The number of visitors in the first quarter of 2024 indicates that Dubai is on course for another standout performance this year after the emirate received a record number of visitors last year.”
Key source markets
Dubai’s diversified approach, built on bespoke strategies and activities in more than 80 markets, helped maintain its position as a first-choice travel destination for visitors both from key traditional and emerging markets. From January to March, the Western Europe region was Dubai’s biggest source market with 1.138 million arrivals, a 22 percent overall share, followed by South Asia with 869,000 visitors (17 percent) and CIS and Eastern Europe with 817,000 (16 percent). From a regional perspective, the GCC and MENA were fourth and fifth, accounting for 664,000 (13 percent) and 605,000 (12 percent) arrivals, respectively. The North-East Asia and South-East Asia region recorded 470,000 arrivals into Dubai (a 9 percent share), followed by the Americas 344,000 (7 percent), Africa 202,000 (4 percent) and Australasia 70,000 (1 percent).
Hotels and hospitality
From January to March, Dubai’s hotels maintained a room occupancy rate of 83 percent, a notable achievement given the 2 percent year-on-year increase in overall room supply to more than 152,000. Occupied room nights increased by 2 percent, with 11.2 million at the end of Q1 2024, compared to 10.98 million in 2023. Average Daily Rate (ADR) rose to AED638 during Q1, marking a notable increase of 5 percent compared to the same period in 2023, while Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) increased by 4 percent compared to last year, from AED504 to AED527. Total available rooms in Dubai reached 152,162 by the end of March, up from 148,877 rooms in March 2023, while the number of establishments stood at 832 at the end of the first quarter, compared to 814 during the same period last year.
Dubai had a total of 96,484 hotel rooms across five-star and four-star establishments, representing a significant 64 percent share of the overall hotel rooms in the city, with average room occupancy typically ranging from 81 percent to 84 percent.
Taking Dubai to the world
Sheikh Hamdan praised the efforts of the DET in successfully promoting the emirate at a global level and showcasing the distinguished experience that it is keen to provide visitors, noting that its well-considered strategies are clearly reflected in the steady growth in tourist numbers. He also expressed his appreciation for the efforts of all strategic partners in the private sector for their contributions in highlighting the attractiveness of Dubai and emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation between the public and private sectors to ensure that the emirate continued to retain its lead on the global tourism map in coming years as well.
Dubai’s exceptional performance reinforced global recognition for the destination, having begun 2024 by being named the No.1 global destination for an unprecedented third successive year in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, the first city to achieve this unique accolade.
Major industry events
The rise in international tourists during Q1 is the result of city-wide strategies established across vital pillars in the tourism sector, including sustainability, accessibility, entrepreneurship, and innovation, while various other key factors contributed to visitation growth. The city hosted several major industry events, such as Arab Health, Gulfood and the Dubai International Boat Show, while new hotel openings included The Lana, Dorchester Collection’s first property in the Middle East; SIRO One Za’abeel, Dubai’s first fitness hotel; Marriott Marquis Dubai; and Hilton Dubai Creek Hotel & Residences. Catering to all budgets and preferences, Dubai’s diverse offerings are constantly evolving, supported by world-class infrastructure, exceptional service at all touchpoints, and continuous collaboration between the government and private sectors.
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Tourism continues to drive economy
Helal Saeed Al Marri, director general of Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said: “Under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the emirate’s continued record-breaking visitation performance demonstrates the sustained commitment to delivering on our long-term D33 Agenda goals, and further solidifies the pivotal role the tourism and hospitality sectors play in propelling Dubai’s positive growth trajectory.”
“In addition to our high-performing tourism ecosystem, these figures also continue to be spurred by upswings in the number of international businesses setting up, existing companies expanding business lines and catchment footprint from Dubai, a very healthy MICE sector, and an influx of new talent relocating to the city, demonstrating the wide-reaching and synergistic impact of a successful and well calibrated D33 economic blueprint,” he added.
Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Dubai is committed to further elevating standards across the emirate and expanding its tourism offering with innovative and distinctive world-class infrastructure, experiences and attractions.”
“We will continue to drive strong global and market-specific campaigns, collaborating with our key domestic and international stakeholders and partners and taking a diversified marketing approach to promote Dubai to audiences around the world, exciting and inspiring potential new and repeat visitors. The commitment of our partners to this shared vision, including through the delivery of the highest levels of service across all consumer touchpoints, is instrumental in making Dubai the best city to visit, live and work in. We look forward to maintaining the industry’s success throughout summer and the rest of the year,” he added.
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