In 2023, Dubai saw a remarkable achievement in tourism, welcoming a record-breaking 17 million international visitors, marking a significant 19.4% rise from the previous year, which was at 14.36 million. This surge in arrivals contributed to the emirate's strongest tourism performance ever, surpassing the previous record of 16.73 million set in 2019. These statistics, revealed by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, underscore the ongoing growth of Dubai's economy and its appeal as a global destination.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share this news and added, "The city is at the forefront of the global tourism sector, with one of the world's highest hotel occupancy rates of 77.4% and hotel capacity expanding to over 150,000 rooms. These achievements align with the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, aiming to position Dubai as one of the top three cities worldwide for business and tourism."
Dubai, a key hub for commerce, tourism, and finance in the Middle East, has sustained strong growth since recovering from the pandemic-related slowdown. The city continued to draw tourists globally, with the GCC and wider Mena region constituting 28% of total arrivals, followed by Western Europe and South Asia at 19% and 18% respectively.
Countries from the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia and other former Soviet Union nations, along with Eastern Europe, made up 13% of total visitors. North Asia and Southeast Asia regions combined contributed 9%, while the Americas accounted for 7% of total overnight visitors to Dubai.
Hotel occupancy averaged 77.4% last year, up from 72.9% the previous year, surpassing the 75.3% reported in 2019, according to the latest data.
Lastly, by the end of December 2023, Dubai had a total of 150,291 rooms across 821 establishments, an increase from 146,496 rooms in the preceding year spread across 804 establishments.