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…
