Dubai posts strong visitor numbers in first half of 2025

In the first half of 2025 (January to June), Dubai welcome 9.88 million international overnight visitors – a 6% increase over the same period in 2024, according to data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

That jump in visitation is being attributed to Dubai’s evolving destination offering, driven by impactful public-private partnerships and amplified through a robust global marketing strategy.

Partnerships, global campaigns, events, and a series of new openings showcased Dubai to both new and returning international visitors, while DET’s bespoke market strategy, working in collaboration with more than 3,000 global and domestic partners, led to growth in key regions.

According to the DET data, the GCC and MENA proximity markets had a combined 26% share of overall visitors to Dubai from January to June 2025, with 1.51 million (15%) and 1.12 million (11%) arrivals respectively.

Western Europe was the largest source market to Dubai, with 2.12 million visitors (22%), followed by CIS and Eastern Europe with 1.52 million (15%), South Asia 1.44 million (15%), Northeast and Southeast Asia 894,000 (9%), the Americas 689,000 (7%), Africa 404,000 (4%) and Australasia with 176,000 (2%).[1]

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Visit Dubai), part of DET, said: “Dubai’s tourism performance reflects the strength of public-private partnerships and the power of community, which have been instrumental in showcasing Dubai’s destination offering to the world.”

Kazim continued: “Our residents, businesses and visitors have played a supporting role in our tourism success, with their authentic voices and genuine advocacy promoting the city and its unique experiences. Dubai has become even more accessible, with a robust infrastructure and a business-friendly environment that fosters collaboration, while a year-round calendar of leisure, trade and MICE events have further diversified the city’s visitor base and generated significant economic impact.”

And Kazim added: “In collaboration with our key stakeholders, we remain committed to enhancing quality of life for visitors and residents through infrastructure development and sustained investment in capacity to attract new international audiences.”

With unique offerings, safety and connectivity, Dubai has sustained its status as a preferred travel destination for visitors from both traditional and emerging markets. Adding to its appeal for international audiences, Dubai’s accommodation portfolio continues to evolve, offering quality at every price point.

In the first six months of 2025, the city expanded its hotel inventory with new openings across all segments and in various locations, including Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, Cheval Maison in Expo City, The Biltmore Hotel Villas in Al Barsha, and Vida Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai.

DET’s data revealed that the emirate’s hotel sector achieved impressive results across all hospitality metrics.

From January to June 2025, average occupancy for hotels in Dubai stood at 80.6%, up from 78.7% compared to the same period in 2024. Occupied room nights increased by 4%, with 22.24 million at the end of H1 2025, compared to 21.35 million in H1 2024, with guests’ length of stay averaging 3.71 nights. The average daily rate (ADR) rose to AED584 during H1, an increase of 5% compared to 2024, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 7% compared to last year, from AED439 to AED471.

Meanwhile, the total available rooms in Dubai reached 152,483 by the end of June 2025, with the number of establishments standing at 822.

Showcasing Dubai’s ever-evolving and diverse destination offering, Visit Dubai launched a series of campaigns[2]  in H1 2025, including ‘Find Your Story,’ with Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi; ‘Dubai, Ready for a Surprise?’, with Indian celebrity couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma; ‘Dubai, Who’s Ready?’ with South Korean actors Park Seo Jun, Choi Woo Shik, and Park Hyung Sik; and ‘Dubai. That’s How You Summer.’ These dynamic global marketing campaigns continue to be a key driver of visitation by promoting Dubai to new international audiences.

Further enhancing the visitor experience and elevating the city’s global appeal, DET signed strategic partnerships in the first half of the year with hospitality companies Marriott International, Hyatt, and Premier Inn.

Dubai’s accommodation portfolio will also continue to grow with upcoming high-profile openings such as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai; ZUHHA Island on The World Islands; and Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, which is set to be the world’s tallest all-hotel tower.

Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city’s official convention bureau and part of DET, reinforced Dubai’s position as a strategic destination for impactful business events. Dubai again ranked No.1 in the Middle East for the total number of association meetings hosted in 2024, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). DBE secured 249 successful bids in the first half of 2025 to host international conferences, congresses and incentive programs, with these events set to attract over 127,000 delegates to Dubai in the coming years.

For more, go to www.dubaidet.gov.ae .