Dubai Hosts Record Number of Tourists in 2023

Dubai recorded its highest ever annual tourist arrivals in 2023, attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors over the course of the year. The previous record stood at 16.73 million visitors registered in 2019.The data published by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) showed that 2023's visitor numbers represented a 19.4 per cent year-on-year growth over the 14.36 million tourist arrivals in 2022.

The GCC and MENA regions together accounted for a combined 28 per cent of the total number of visitors to the UAE last year. Western Europe and South Asia accounted for 19 per cent and 18 per cent of arrivals respectively, while CIS/Eastern Europe recorded a 13 per cent share. The North Asia and South East Asia region accounted for 9 per cent of arrivals, the Americas contributed 7 per cent, Africa 4 per cent and Australasia 2 per cent.

Average occupancy for Dubai's hotel sector in 2023 stood at 77.4 per cent. That occupancy rate comes as the emirate witnessed an overall 19 per cent increase in room supply in 2023 compared to 2019.

Dubai's hotel inventory at the end of December 2023 stood at 150,291 rooms at 821 establishments, compared to 146,496 rooms available at the end of December 2022 across 804 establishments.

In 2023, occupied room nights reached a record high of 41.70 million, a 11 per cent increase compared to 2022 (37.43 million). This growth also represented a 30 per cent rise from the pre-pandemic figures of 2019, which saw 32.11 million occupied room nights.The 2023 average daily rate stood at Dhs536, which matched the ADR in 2022. The hotel sector's RevPAR of Dhs415 in 2023 also increased 6 per cent over 2022 (Dhs391). The average length of stay for guests was 3.8 nights in 2023.

The tourism sector's performance accompanies the emirate's 3.3 per cent GDP growth in the first nine months of 2023.

As for its events sector, major business and leisure events held in 2023 included Gulfood (134,000 visitors and 5,000 exhibitors), Gitex Global Dubai (170,000 visitors and 6,000 exhibitors), the International Boat Show (30,000 visitors) and Arabian Travel Market (40,000 visitors). Dubai Business Events, part of DET and the city's official convention bureau, won a record 349 bids to host international conferences, congresses, meetings, and incentive travel programmes over the coming years.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said, "The sustained success will further enhance visitors' enduring trust, confidence and affinity for Dubai, as it accelerates towards the goal of becoming the best city to visit, live and work in, and ultimately converting visitors into long-term residents. We are strategically harnessing the significant momentum generated during a highly successful 2023 to drive growth across all segments of tourism. As we look forward to welcoming more visitors in 2024, the unwavering support of our public and private sector partners will be pivotal in enhancing our capacity to showcase our unparalleled offerings tailored to cater to the diverse preferences and budgets of international travellers."

The latest data from the UN World Tourism Organisation reveals that overall, international tourism reached 88 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023. The only region to overcome pre-pandemic levels with 22 per cent visitation growth above 2019 was the Middle East.