Dubai tourism sector hits new milestone

Dubai's tourism sector has achieved a new growth milestone, strengthening its position as a major global destination.

In the first quarter of 2023, the emirate welcomed 4.67 million international visitors, which is a 17 per cent increase from the same period last year.

"The achievement is a testament to the successful implementation of the D33 Agenda's forward-thinking strategy," said Dubai's Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who shared the details on Twitter.

"Fuelled by its thriving economy, Dubai remains at the forefront of the global tourism industry's recovery."

In the first quarter of 2023, Dubai solidified its position as the premier global tourism destination by hosting 4.67 million international visitors. This marks a remarkable 17% increase from the same period in the previous year and is a testament to the successful implementation… pic.twitter.com/cakkRHDEq8

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) May 1, 2023

The latest industry results - announced at the ongoing 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market in Dubai World Trade Centre, positions Dubai as the fastest recovering destination globally, achieving 98 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2023.

The number of visitors in Q1 2023 was just two percentage points short of pre-pandemic volume of 4.75 million tourists that arrived in Dubai in the first three months of 2019, a remarkable achievement since turning the tide in July 2020 by reopening the city to international tourists, and in spite of current global economic headwinds.

Dubai’s traditional source markets delivered solid tourism volumes during the first quarter of the year with key regions continuing to make an impact on international visitation.

GCC and MENA combined was the top region, collectively contributing to 29 per cent of total volumes, Western Europe accounted for 22 per cent of arrivals, while South Asia, accounted for 16 per cent of total international visitation, followed by CIS and Eastern Europe together contributing 15 per cent, Americas (7%), North Asia and South East Asia (6%), Africa (4%) and Australasia (1%).

Dubai's hotels saw a surge in performance during the first quarter of 2023.

Average occupancy for the sector during the January-March period stood at an impressive 83 per cent, making it one of the highest in the world, and almost on par with the 84 per cent occupancy recorded in Q1 2019.

This achievement is particularly notable given a 26 per cent increase in room capacity since then. By the end of March 2023, the city's hotel sector had a total of 148,877 rooms in 814 hotel establishments compared to 118,039 rooms in 717 establishments in 2019.