Dubai’s evolving vacation spot providing, pushed by impactful public-private partnerships and amplified by a sturdy world advertising technique, resulted within the metropolis welcoming 9.88 million worldwide in a single day guests from January to June 2025 – a 6% improve in comparison with the identical interval in 2024, in response to information revealed by the Dubai Division of Economic system and Tourism (DET).
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Govt Council of Dubai, mentioned: “Dubai continues to set new information in worldwide visitation, reinforcing the strategic imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to make the town a significant world enterprise and tourism vacation spot. This milestone displays Dubai’s regular development as a focus for commerce, funding, expertise and alternative and its rise because the world’s most related metropolis. Dubai’s skill to create compelling experiences that meet the evolving wants of tourists has strengthened its standing as one of many world’s most sought-after locations. From distinctive infrastructure to distinctive sights, Dubai presents a mannequin of excellence within the tourism and hospitality sectors grounded in innovation.”
“As we advance the objectives of the Dubai Financial Agenda D33, tourism will stay key to driving GDP development and cross-sector worth creation within the emirate’s financial system. By frequently anticipating the wants of travellers and exceeding their expectations, we’re strengthening Dubai’s place because the world’s finest metropolis to go to, dwell, and work in.
Partnerships, world campaigns, occasions, and a collection of latest openings showcased the town to each new and returning worldwide guests, whereas DET’s bespoke market technique, working in collaboration with greater than 3,000 world and home companions, led to development in key areas.
Based on the DET information, the GCC and MENA proximity markets had a mixed 26% share of general guests to Dubai from January to June 2025, with 1.51 million (15%) and 1.12 million (11%) arrivals respectively. Western Europe was the most important supply market to Dubai, with 2.12 million guests (22%), adopted by CIS and Japanese Europe (15%), South Asia (15%), North East and South East Asia (9%), the Americas (7%), Africa (4%) and Australasia (2%).
With distinctive choices, security and connectivity, Dubai has sustained its standing as a most well-liked journey vacation spot for guests from each conventional and rising markets. Including to its enchantment for worldwide audiences, Dubai’s lodging portfolio continues to evolve, providing high quality at each value level. Within the first six months of 2025, the town expanded its resort stock with new openings throughout all segments and in numerous areas, together with Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab in Umm Suqeim, Cheval Maison in Expo Metropolis, The Biltmore Lodge Villas in Al Barsha, and Vida Dubai Mall in Downtown Dubai.
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director Normal of the Dubai Division of Economic system and Tourism (DET), mentioned: “Dubai’s sturdy tourism efficiency within the first half of 2025 displays the enduring power and adaptableness of our financial mannequin, even amid persistent world headwinds. Inflationary pressures, shifting traveller behaviours, and wider macroeconomic uncertainty proceed to problem locations worldwide. But Dubai stays on an upward trajectory, an end result formed by the long-term imaginative and prescient of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the precision of the Dubai Financial Agenda, D33.
“Our response has been each deliberate and future-focused: enhancing customer experiences by know-how, investing in high-growth segments akin to luxurious, wellness, and experiential journey, and selling deeper cultural alternate by local people engagement. We’re embedding sustainability throughout our tourism ecosystem and specializing in the wants of next-generation travellers, from Gen Z and digital nomads to high-spending world vacationers.
“This multifaceted strategy not solely helps our ambition to change into the world’s finest metropolis to go to, dwell, work and put money into; it additionally reinforces Dubai’s place as a world-class centre of commerce, innovation, and cultural connection. As we glance forward, we are going to proceed to scale this influence and ship on the D33 Agenda by driving development that’s each diversified and globally related.”
Campaigns and partnerships
Showcasing Dubai’s ever-evolving and various vacation spot providing, the Dubai Company for Tourism and Commerce Advertising and marketing (DCTCM), a part of DET, launched a collection of campaigns in H1 2025, together with ‘Discover Your Story’, with Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi; ‘Dubai. That’s How You Summer season’; and ‘Dubai, Prepared for a Shock?’, with Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. These dynamic world advertising campaigns proceed to be a key driver of visitation by selling Dubai to new worldwide audiences.
Additional supporting the D33 objectives, DET signed strategic partnerships within the first half of the 12 months with hospitality firms Marriott Worldwide, Hyatt, and Premier Inn to reinforce the customer expertise and elevate the town’s world enchantment. Dubai’s lodging portfolio can even proceed to develop with upcoming high-profile openings such because the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai; ZUHHA Island on The World Islands; and Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Assortment, which is about to be the world’s tallest all-hotel tower.
His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Company for Tourism and Commerce Advertising and marketing (DCTCM), a part of DET, mentioned: “Guided by visionary management and the strategic objectives of the Dubai Financial Agenda D33, Dubai’s tourism efficiency displays the power of public-private partnerships and the facility of group, which have been instrumental in showcasing Dubai’s vacation spot providing to the world. Our residents, companies and guests have performed a supporting function in our tourism success, with their genuine voices and real advocacy selling the town and its distinctive experiences. Dubai has change into much more accessible, with a sturdy infrastructure and a business-friendly setting that fosters collaboration, whereas a year-round calendar of leisure, commerce and MICE occasions have additional diversified the town’s customer base and generated important financial influence. In collaboration with our key stakeholders, we stay dedicated to enhancing high quality of life for guests and residents by infrastructure growth and sustained funding in capability to draw new worldwide audiences.”
World recognition and commerce occasions
Dubai obtained quite a few world accolades within the first half of 2025. Reinforcing the town’s dedication to accessible journey, one of many main milestones of the 12 months up to now got here in April when Dubai was recognised as the primary Licensed Autism Vacation spot™ within the Japanese Hemisphere. When it comes to world tourism recognition, Dubai continues to garner high rankings as one of many ‘better of the very best’ locations within the 2025 Tripadvisor Vacationers’ Selection Awards, whereas in a research by journey insurance coverage firm InsureMyTrip, Dubai was named the world’s finest metropolis for solo feminine travellers, receiving the very best scores throughout the 62-city survey for ‘feeling protected’ and for ‘feeling protected strolling alone at evening’.
Dubai Enterprise Occasions (DBE), the town’s official conference bureau and a part of DET, bolstered Dubai’s place as a strategic vacation spot for impactful enterprise occasions. Dubai once more ranked No.1 within the Center East for the whole variety of affiliation conferences hosted in 2024, in response to the Worldwide Congress and Conference Affiliation (ICCA). DBE secured 249 profitable bids within the first half of 2025 to host worldwide conferences, congresses and incentive programmes, with these occasions set to draw over 127,000 delegates to Dubai within the coming years.
Hospitality and gastronomy
DET’s information revealed that the emirate’s resort sector achieved spectacular outcomes throughout all hospitality metrics. From January to June 2025, common occupancy for lodges in Dubai stood at 80.6%, up from 78.7% in comparison with the identical interval in 2024. Occupied room nights elevated by 4%, with 22.24 million on the finish of H1 2025, in comparison with 21.35 million in H1 2024, with visitors’ size of keep averaging 3.71 nights. The common day by day fee (ADR) rose to AED584 throughout H1, a rise of 5% in comparison with 2024, whereas income per obtainable room (RevPAR) elevated by 7% in comparison with final 12 months, from AED439 to AED471. In the meantime, the whole obtainable rooms in Dubai reached 152,483 by the tip of June 2025, with the variety of institutions standing at 822.
Gastronomy continues to be a key attraction for worldwide visitation and funding to Dubai, with the town’s various culinary scene constantly recognised globally. The fourth version of the MICHELIN Information Dubai was unveiled in Could and it featured a complete of 119 eating places throughout 35 cuisines, together with the town’s first three-starred eating places: FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio. With this newest recognition for FZN, Björn Frantzén grew to become the primary chef globally to carry three MICHELIN stars for 3 completely different eating places, whereas homegrown idea Trèsind Studio grew to become the world’s first Indian MICHELIN three-starred restaurant. The 2025 Information additionally included three two-starred eating places, 14 one-starred, 22 Bib Gourmands, and three MICHELIN Inexperienced Stars. On The World’s 50 Finest Eating places 2025 checklist, introduced in June, two Dubai eating places had been included within the high 50. Trèsind Studio was ranked at No.27, and named the very best restaurant within the Center East, whereas Orfali Bros re-entered the highest 50, rating at No.37.