Dubai recorded 16.79 million international tourist arrivals from January to November 2024 — a 9% increase from the 15.37 million visitors who came during the same period in 2023. The figures, released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) via the Emirates News Agency (WAM), reinforce the city's position as one of the world's most visited destinations and point to another record-breaking full year for Dubai tourism 2024.
Top Source Markets Driving Dubai's Visitor Growth
Western Europe led all source regions with 3.298 million visitors, accounting for roughly 20% of total arrivals. South Asia followed closely with 2.858 million tourists, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) contributed over 2.5 million arrivals. Other significant contributors included:
- CIS and Eastern Europe — 14% of total visitors - Middle East and North Africa — 12% - North and Southeast Asia — 10%
The diversity of source markets reflects Dubai's success in running targeted, multi-region tourism campaigns and maintaining strong air connectivity through Emirates, flydubai, and other carriers.
Monthly Arrivals: Peak Seasons and Year-Round Demand
February was the single busiest month with 1.9 million arrivals, capitalising on Dubai's mild winter climate and major events calendar. November followed with 1.83 million visitors, and October recorded 1.67 million. The consistency of monthly figures across the year demonstrates that Dubai has successfully reduced its dependence on a narrow winter peak and now sustains high visitor volumes throughout all seasons.
Hotel Sector: Expanded Inventory and Rising Revenue
Dubai's hospitality sector expanded alongside visitor growth. By November 2024, total accommodation stood at 828 properties with 153,390 rooms — up from 820 properties and 149,685 rooms at the same point in 2023. Hotel bookings generated 39.19 million room nights over the eleven-month period, a 3% increase compared with January–November 2019, with an average length of stay of 3.6 nights.
The breakdown of hotel stock by category:
- Five-star hotels — 53,977 rooms (the largest single segment) - Four-star hotels — 43,345 rooms - One-to-three-star hotels — 29,701 rooms - Luxury and mid-level hotel apartments — 26,367 rooms
On the revenue side, Average Daily Rate (ADR) rose 2% to AED 520, while Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) grew 3% to AED 405 — signals that demand is not only broad but pricing power remains intact.
Dubai's Long-Term Tourism Ambitions on Track
The January–November 2024 data confirm that Dubai is on course to reach its long-term goal of attracting 25 million annual visitors by 2025. Full-year 2024 totals — later confirmed by DET at 18.72 million visitors for the complete calendar year — represent a 9% year-on-year gain and mark a new all-time record, surpassing the previous record of 17.15 million set in 2023. Continued investment in hotel capacity, global marketing, and world-class events positions the emirate to keep growing its share of international travel well into the decade ahead.
