Dubai sees 14% surge in UK visitors

Overall, on an international level, Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international overnight visitors up by 9% year-over-year.

Marking consecutive years of record-setting growth for the city, the UK remains a top source market.

DET continued to work closely with industry partners to develop infrastructure and experiences catering to all budgets and preferences.

This was complemented by a diversified market strategy in more than 60 countries.

From a regional perspective, North East & South East Asia combined delivered the highest rate of growth at 24%, followed by Africa (+20%) and CIS & Eastern Europe (+16%).

Visitors from Western Europe also grew significantly, up 14%.

Hotels contributed significantly to the city’s performance, with the steady growth in inventory thanks to high-profile new openings,

This included the One&Only One Za’abeel, SIRO One Za’abeel, and The Lana Dorchester Collection.

Dubai’s hotel inventory by the end of December 2024 comprised 154,016 total available rooms across 832 locations.

According to STR data, Dubai is significantly ahead of other major global peer cities such as New York, Bangkok, Paris and Singapore, and nearly on par with London, in terms of total room inventory.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Dubai’s remarkable tourism performance in 2024 reflects the sustained commitment and strategic efforts of our extensive network of partners and stakeholders.”

“Our market strategy, built on bespoke and diversified campaigns, has been pivotal in showcasing Dubai’s diverse tourism offerings.”

Work has started on the new AED128 billion passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which will be the largest in the world when fully operational.

This will enable the airport to handle a passenger capacity of 260 million annually.

DET is also actively engaging with investors and operators in the hospitality space, to explore opportunities to bring more brands and offerings into the city.