Dubai records nearly 7 million international visitors in 2026

Dubai has welcomed 869,000 international overnight visitors in August 2026 - its strongest monthly volume since February.

It builds on month-on-month, double-digit growth since March, taking total international visitation to 6.97 million across the first eight months of the year, according to the latest dare released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026. 

Hotel occupancy reached 66 per cent in August, representing 89 per cent of the city’s occupancy levels in August 2025, and continuing a steep climb from 36 per cent occupancy in March 2026.

As a number of properties have begun implementing extensive renovation projects to further elevate the guest experience and embed future readiness, hotel room inventory approached 149,000 rooms by the end of August 2026.

In the first eight months of the year, the emirate’s hotels recorded 21.61 million occupied room nights, underscoring the scale at which the industry continues to operate.

Dubai continues to draw visitors from a broad mix of international source regions.

Western Europe remained the leading regional contributor from January to August, accounting for 20 per cent of visitation, followed by South Asia at 17 per cent, the GCC at 16 per cent, and CIS and Eastern Europe at 14 per cent.

It aligns with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure and build a resilient and future-focused visitor economy. 

Dubai’s tourism industry is increasingly demonstrating its strength, with the city’s hotel sector delivering sustained performance growth, according to the latest data released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) on the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM)… pic.twitter.com/bKqaiRoVdK

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) September 13, 2026