Dubai's Surge in Gulf Tourism Amidst Global Recovery
In the first ten months of 2023, Dubai has seen a notable increase in tourism from the Gulf region, with over 2 million visitors marking a significant contribution to the emirate's visitor demographics.
Charlie Kennedy
- 2023-12-29
- Updated 12:23 AM ET
(NewsNibs) - According to statistics released by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, from January to October 2023, Gulf tourists to Dubai have numbered 2.22 million. These tourists accounted for 16% of all visitors to the city during the period. Saudi Arabia led the Gulf region as the primary source market and stood third globally, contributing approximately 930,000 visitors. Following Saudi Arabia, Oman ranked as the second Gulf source and fifth globally with almost 860,000 tourists to the emirate. Kuwait came in as the third Gulf market and fourteenth globally with Dubai welcoming around 253,000 Kuwaiti nationals. Moreover, the emirate saw about 160,000 visitors from Qatar and Bahrain, further underscoring the region's importance, although detailed data for these countries were not specified.
Driving Factors Behind Regional Tourism Boost
The historical and cultural ties, combined with geographical proximity between Dubai and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have been prime factors elevating tourism. Dubai's ongoing commitment to provide unique tourist experiences has been evident through its focus on innovation, safety, and hospitality, consolidating its position as a leading global tourist destination. These factors are seen as pivotal in pulling a considerable number of visitors from the Gulf, enhancing cross-regional tourism influx.
Dubai's Broad Tourism Growth
The first ten months of 2023 were a period of growth for Dubai's tourism sector. The city recorded 13.9 million international visitors, marking a 22% increase from the 11.4 million international visitors in the same period last year, and surpassing pre-pandemic levels of 13.5 million in 2019. Hotel occupancy rates exemplified this growth, with an average occupancy of 76%, a boost from 71% in the previous year and 74% in the pre-pandemic era. Additionally, as of the end of October 2023, there were more than 149,000 hotel rooms over 818 hotel establishments, revealing a growth of approximately 4% from the previous year's 144.7 thousand hotel rooms across 790 establishments.
Amidst global economic recovery and travel normalization post the COVID-19 pandemic, Dubai has reinforced its appeal to tourists from the Gulf and beyond. With strategic tourism initiatives and a robust hospitality sector, Dubai continues to showcase its capacity as a leading tourism powerhouse in the Middle East and the world.
