Dubai Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 20 January 2025

Dubai, the crown jewel of the United Arab Emirates, is known for its modern architecture, luxury, and unique attractions. Tourism plays a key role in its economy, drawing millions of visitors annually.

How many tourists visited Dubai in 2023?

Over 16 million international visitors travel to Dubai each year (based on pre-pandemic and post-pandemic recovery trends).

• In 2014, Dubai welcomed 13.2 million visitors, with steady growth observed through 2019, peaking at 16.7 million visitors, a growth of 26.5% over five years.¹

• In 2020, the number of visitors dropped drastically to 5.5 million, reflecting a 67.1% decrease compared to 2019 due to pandemic-related restrictions.
  
• Tourism began recovering in 2021, with 7.3 million visitors, reflecting a 32.7% growth from the previous year.

• By 2022, Dubai regained its status as a top tourist destination, attracting approximately 14.4 million visitors.

• In 2023, the positive trend continued as Dubai welcomed over 17.2 million international tourists, surpassing both its 2022 numbers and the pre-pandemic visitor count from 2019.
  
• From January to November 2024, Dubai welcomed 16.8 million tourists, indicating a 9% increase in tourism compared to the same period in 2023.²

How many tourists visited Dubai in 2024?

Over 16.79 million tourists visited Dubai between January and November 2024, representing a 9% increase compared to the same period in 2023. 

• Dubai’s Monthly Performance for 2024:
  • January-February 2024: 3.67 million visitors (+18% year-on-year).
  • January-March 2024: 5.18 million visitors (+11% year-on-year).
  • January-April 2024: 6.68 million visitors (+11% year-on-year).
  • January-May 2024: 8.12 million visitors (+10% year-on-year).
  • January-July 2024: 10.62 million visitors (+8% year-on-year).
  • January-August 2024: 11.93 million visitors (+7% year-on-year).
  • January-October 2024: 14.96 million visitors (+8% year-on-year).

How many tourists visited Dubai in 2023?

Dubai recorded over 17.2 million visitors in 2023, a strong recovery following the pandemic, with a 19.4% year-on-year increase from 2022. 

• This figure also surpassed the 2019 pre-pandemic levels when Dubai welcomed 16.7 million international visitors.

How many tourists visited Dubai in 2022?

Dubai welcomed 14.36 million international visitors in 2022. This indicated a 242% increase compared to 2020 and is 8% higher than the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

How much do visitors spend in Dubai each year?

Visitor expenditure contributed over AED 180.6 billion to the UAE’s economy in 2023.³

• In 2022, international visitors spent AED 117.6 billion in Dubai. This was a big jump of 65.3% from the year before, but still 19% less than what was spent in 2019.
  
• Domestic tourism spending also demonstrated significant growth in 2022, with expenditures increasing 35.7% from the previous year to AED 46.9 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic spending by 10.6%.

Where do visitors to Dubai come from?

• In 2023, Dubai welcomed over 2.2 million Indian tourists, which was a 22% increase from the previous year and 12% higher than the peak visitation year 2019 with 1.97 million Indian visitors.

• Following India, Oman contributed the second-largest group of visitors with 1.57 million tourists. 

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the third-leading nation, boasting 1.45 million travellers.

• The United Kingdom and Russia were close behind with 1.25 million visits and 910,000 visits, respectively.

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic – Dubai Tourism Statistics 2020 and 2021

• Dubai witnessed a decrease in international tourists in 2020, with only 5.5 million visitors, marking a historical low in Dubai’s tourism sector. This represented a decrease of 67.07% from the previous year.

• Amidst COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, Dubai managed to attract approximately 7.28 million international visitors, a 32% increase compared to the previous year.

Dubai Inbound Travel Statistics for 2019

• In 2019, Dubai welcomed approximately 16.7 million international tourists, marking a 5.1% increase from the previous year. These visits largely comprised tourists from the UK, India, and Saudi Arabia.

When is the best time to visit Dubai?

• The best months to visit Dubai are between November and March when temperatures range from 15°C to 25°C.
  
• During these months, all of the major attractions and outdoor locations are easily accessible and pleasant.

Dubai Travel Resources

• Car rental prices in Dubai – Comparison
• Car rental prices in UAE

How long do visitors stay in Dubai?

• In 2019, visitors spent an average of 8 days in Dubai. The year 2020 and 2021 marked an increase in this duration with visitors spending an average of 9.7 days and 9.6 days in Dubai, respectively.
  
• In 2022, visitors spent an average of 7.8 days in Dubai. While this suggests a slight decline from the previous years, it remains a significant duration for visitor stays.
  
• In 2023, visitors spent an average of 13.8 days per visit in Dubai. This indicates a 73% increase compared to 2019 and 42% higher compared to 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

Economic Impact – Dubai Tourism Statistics

• The statistics show that international tourists contributed AED 117.6 billion to the country’s GDP in 2022, an increase of 65.3% over the previous year but still 19% down from 2019 figures.
  
• At the end of 2019, the tourism sector contributed 11.5% to the GDP value of Dubai.

What are the top attractions to visit in Dubai?

• Famous attractions such as the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Water Canal continue to attract visitors, with a visitation increase of 13% and 5%, respectively. These iconic landmarks were part of the itineraries for 54% of all tourists in 2022.

• The cultural appeal of Dubai also surged due to the opening of new attractions in 2022, like the Museum of the Future and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. These, together with Dubai’s heritage and cultural districts, attracted 65% of all visitors, a significant increase from 59% in 2021.

• 46% of all visitors to Dubai engaged in the Desert Safari in 2022, an increase of 34% from the previous year.

Why do people visit Dubai?

• In 2022, approximately 79% of international visitors came to Dubai for leisure. This was a 71% increase from 2021.

• Dubai also held steady appeal for visitors looking to spend time with family and relatives, accounting for 15% of the total visits in 2022. 

• However, visits for business purposes dropped to 6% in 2022. This could be due to the growing trend of ‘bleisure’ (business-leisure) travel, where tourists combine work and relaxation.

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References

1. DET: Annual Visitor Report – 2018 to 2023 ↩︎
2.  DubaiDET: Tourism Performance Report April 2024 ↩︎
3. WTTC: Dubai, UAE Travel & Tourism Sector ↩︎