09-02-2025
Annual visitor numbers surge to nearly 19 million as world descends on Dubai
Dubai attracted 18.72 million international tourists in 2024, up 9 per cent annually, as the emirate solidified its standing as a global tourist destination. The city's hotels also maintained an average occupancy rate of 78 per cent last year, compared to 77.4 per cent in 2023, the Dubai Media Office said in a post on social media platform X on Sunday. The number of hotel rooms in Dubai stood at 154,016 across 832 properties, a 2 per cent increase annually. Occupied room nights in Dubai amounted to 43 million in 2024, compared to 41.7 million the previous year, the Media Office said. The average revenue per available room (RevPAR) during the period rose 2 per cent annually to Dh421 ($114.6), according to the latest data. "These remarkable figures align with Dubai Economic Agenda D33, reinforcing Dubai's position as the best city in the world to visit, live and work in," it said. Dubai is looking to establish itself as one of the top three global cities over the next decade and double the size of its economy by 2033 as part of its economic agenda. The city is pursuing a strategy to diversify its non-oil sector with a heavy focus on tourism, aviation, hospitality, technology and trade. Dubai is simplifying visa procedures and building new infrastructure as it aims to attract more tourists to the emirate. Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled a record 92.3 million passengers last year, an annual increase of nearly 6 per cent. The world's busiest airport by international traffic beat its November forecast of 91.9 million annual passengers last year, up from 87 million in 2023 and exceeding its pre-Covid record of 89.1 million in 2018. To accommodate future growth in passenger traffic, Dubai is also expanding its second hub, Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), with a $35 billion terminal that will have a capacity of 260 million passengers a year once the final phase is completed. That airport currently has a capacity of 32.5 million passengers − handling mainly cargo and some low-cost airlines. Dubai's economy grew by 3.1 per cent in the first nine months of last year, compared to the same period in 2023, reaching Dh339.4 billion. Growth was largely driven by sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, transport and storage, financial and insurance activities, information and communications, accommodation and food services as well as manufacturing.
