DUBAI - Dubai's evolving destination offering, driven by impactful public-private partnerships and amplified through a robust global marketing strategy, resulted in the city welcoming 9.88 million international overnight visitors from January to June 2025 – a 6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to data published by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said, "Dubai continues to set new records in international visitation, reinforcing the strategic vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai to make the city a major global business and tourism destination. This milestone reflects Dubai's steady growth as a focal point for trade, investment, talent and opportunity and its rise as the world's most connected city. Dubai's ability to create compelling experiences that meet the evolving needs of visitors has strengthened its status as one of the world's most sought-after destinations. From exceptional infrastructure to unique attractions, Dubai offers a model of excellence in the tourism and hospitality sectors grounded in innovation."

"As we advance the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, tourism will remain key to driving GDP growth and cross-sector value creation in the emirate's economy. By continually anticipating the needs of travellers and exceeding their expectations, we are strengthening Dubai's position as the world's best city to visit, live, and work in.

Partnerships, global campaigns, events, and a series of new openings showcased the city to both new and returning international visitors, while DET's bespoke market strategy, working in collaboration with more than 3,000 global and domestic partners, led to growth in key regions.

According to the DET data, the GCC and MENA proximity markets had a combined 26 percent share of overall visitors to Dubai from January to June 2025, with 1.51 million (15 percent) and 1.12 million (11 percent) arrivals respectively.

Western Europe was the largest source market to Dubai, with 2.12 million visitors (22 percent), followed by CIS and Eastern Europe (15 percent), South Asia (15 percent), North East and South East Asia (9 percent), the Americas (7 percent), Africa (4 percent) and Australasia (2 percent).

With unique offerings, safety and connectivity, Dubai has sustained its status as a preferred travel destination for visitors from both traditional and emerging markets. Adding to its appeal for international audiences, Dubai's accommodation portfolio continues to evolve, offering quality at every price point. In the first six months of 2025, the city expanded its hotel inventory with new openings across all segments and in various locations, including Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, Cheval Maison in Expo City, The Biltmore Hotel Villas in Al Barsha, and Vida Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai.

Helal Saeed Almarri, Director-General, Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), said, "Dubai's strong tourism performance in the first half of 2025 reflects the enduring strength and adaptability of our economic model, even amid persistent global headwinds. Inflationary pressures, shifting traveller behaviours, and wider macroeconomic uncertainty continue to challenge destinations worldwide. Yet Dubai remains on an upward trajectory, an outcome shaped by the long-term vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the precision of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.

"Our response has been both deliberate and future-focused: enhancing visitor experiences through technology, investing in high-growth segments such as luxury, wellness, and experiential travel, and promoting deeper cultural exchange through local community engagement. We are embedding sustainability across our tourism ecosystem and focusing on the needs of next-generation travellers, from Gen Z and digital nomads to high-spending global tourists.

"This multifaceted approach not only supports our ambition to become the world's best city to visit, live, work and invest in; it also reinforces Dubai's position as a world-class centre of commerce, innovation, and cultural connection. As we look ahead, we will continue to scale this impact and deliver on the D33 Agenda by driving growth that is both diversified and globally relevant."

Showcasing Dubai's ever-evolving and diverse destination offering, the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, launched a series of campaigns in H1 2025, including 'Find Your Story', with Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi; 'Dubai. That's How You Summer'; and 'Dubai, Ready for a Surprise?', with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. These dynamic global marketing campaigns continue to be a key driver of visitation by promoting Dubai to new international audiences.

Further supporting the D33 goals, DET signed strategic partnerships in the first half of the year with hospitality companies Marriott International, Hyatt, and Premier Inn to enhance the visitor experience and elevate the city's global appeal. Dubai's accommodation portfolio will also continue to grow with upcoming high-profile openings such as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai; ZUHHA Island on The World Islands; and Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, which is set to be the world's tallest all-hotel tower.

Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET, said, "Guided by visionary leadership and the strategic goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, Dubai's tourism performance reflects the strength of public-private partnerships and the power of community, which have been instrumental in showcasing Dubai's destination offering to the world. Our residents, businesses and visitors have played a supporting role in our tourism success, with their authentic voices and genuine advocacy promoting the city and its unique experiences. Dubai has become even more accessible, with a robust infrastructure and a business-friendly environment that fosters collaboration, while a year-round calendar of leisure, trade and MICE events have further diversified the city's visitor base and generated significant economic impact. In collaboration with our key stakeholders, we remain committed to enhancing quality of life for visitors and residents through infrastructure development and sustained investment in capacity to attract new international audiences."

Dubai received numerous global accolades in the first half of 2025. Reinforcing the city's commitment to accessible travel, one of the major milestones of the year so far came in April when Dubai was recognised as the first Certified Autism Destination? in the Eastern Hemisphere. In terms of global tourism recognition, Dubai continues to garner top rankings as one of the 'best of the best' destinations in the 2025 Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, while in a study by travel insurance company InsureMyTrip, Dubai was named the world's best city for solo female travellers, receiving the highest scores across the 62-city survey for 'feeling safe' and for 'feeling safe walking alone at night'.

Dubai Business Events (DBE), the city's official convention bureau and part of DET, reinforced Dubai's position as a strategic destination for impactful business events. Dubai again ranked No 1 in the Middle East for the total number of association meetings hosted in 2024, according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). DBE secured 249 successful bids in the first half of 2025 to host international conferences, congresses and incentive programmes, with these events set to attract over 127,000 delegates to Dubai in the coming years.

Hospitality and gastronomy.

DET's data revealed that the emirate's hotel sector achieved impressive results across all hospitality metrics. From January to June 2025, average occupancy for hotels in Dubai stood at 80.6 percent, up from 78.7 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

Occupied room nights increased by 4 percent, with 22.24 million at the end of H1 2025, compared to 21.35 million in H1 2024, with guests' length of stay averaging 3.71 nights. The average daily rate (ADR) rose to AED584 during H1, an increase of 5 percent compared to 2024, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 7 percent compared to last year, from AED439 to AED471. Meanwhile, the total available rooms in Dubai reached 152,483 by the end of June 2025, with the number of establishments standing at 822.

Gastronomy continues to be a key attraction for international visitation and investment to Dubai, with the city's diverse culinary scene consistently recognised globally. The fourth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Dubai was unveiled in May, and it featured a total of 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines, including the city's first three-starred restaurants: FZN by Bj?rn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio. With this latest recognition for FZN, Bj?rn Frantzén became the first chef globally to hold three MICHELIN stars for three different restaurants, while homegrown concept Trèsind Studio became the world's first Indian MICHELIN three-starred restaurant. The 2025 Guide also included three two-starred restaurants, 14 one-starred, 22 Bib Gourmands, and three MICHELIN Green Stars. On The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list, announced in June, two Dubai restaurants were included in the top 50. Trèsind Studio was ranked at No 27, and named the best restaurant in the Middle East, while Orfali Bros re-entered the top 50, ranking at No 37.

WAM