The Department of Economy and Tourism in Dubai has released the latest statistics regarding the performance of the tourism sector and international visitor numbers during the first nine months of the current year. The data revealed Dubai’s success in attracting 12.4 million international visitors between January and September 2023, compared to 10.12 million international visitors received by the city during the same period last year, marking an increase of over 22.5%. This is also in comparison to 12.08 million visitors during the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a growth rate of approximately 2.6%.
According to the data, Dubai continued to register strong figures in terms of total visitor numbers compared to last year. This included international tourist numbers, the number of hotel rooms, reserved nights, daily room rates, and room revenue, all of which exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
The data showed that India led as the top source market for international visitors to Dubai between January and September of this year, with over 1.77 million visitors. Saudi Arabia followed with more than 856,000 visitors, while the total number of visitors from the United Kingdom reached about 825,000, and 806,000 visitors from Russia.
Oman ranked fifth, recording approximately 789,000 visitors, followed by the United States with around 523,000 tourists, then China with 457,000 visitors. Germany came in eighth place with 401,000 visitors, Iran with about 296,000 visitors, and Pakistan with 254,000 visitors.
By the end of September 2023, the number of hotel rooms in Dubai reached approximately 148,800 within 815 hotel establishments, compared to 142,700 hotel rooms in 784 establishments by the end of September 2022.
The average hotel occupancy rate in all operating facilities in Dubai was 76%, compared to 71% during the same period in 2022 and 73% during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
Luxury five-star hotels accounted for 35% of the total hotel market in Dubai, registering about 51,300 hotel rooms within 156 hotel establishments. Four-star hotels followed with 28%, recording around 42,300 hotel rooms within 188 establishments.
Hotels rated as three-star and below made up about 20% of the total hotel market, with a capacity exceeding 29,000 hotel rooms within 276 establishments.
As for hotel apartments, they recorded around 26,000 rooms within 195 hotel establishments, accounting for 17% of the hotel market.
By the end of September, the length of guests’ stays in hotel rooms averaged 3.7 nights, compared to 4 nights during the same period in 2022. The total number of nights (reserved rooms) exceeded 30.44 million nights compared to about 26.94 million nights in the corresponding period, with a growth rate of approximately 13%.
Western Europe ranked first in terms of the geographical source of visitors to Dubai, accounting for 19% of the total number of visitors during the period between January and September 2023, followed by South Asia with about 18%, 16% for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, 13% for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and South and Southeast Asia at 8%.
The Americas had a 7% share, Africa 4%, and Australasia 2%.