Dubai smashed all of its own tourism records in 2023, welcoming a record-breaking 17.15 million international overnight visitors, while the Dubai International (DXB) saw over 87 million passengers in annual traffic.
Dubai’s international visitor arrival numbers in 2023 marked a 19.4% year-on-year growth, exceeding the 2022 figures and pre-pandemic records. Its tourism sector has rapidly grown into a driving force, contributing to the city's 3.3% GDP growth in the first nine months of 2023.
Markets that contributed to this success were the GCC and MENA regions that collectively contributed 28%; Western Europe at 19%; South Asia accounted for 18% of arrivals; CIS/Eastern Europe at 13%; North Asia and South-East Asia at 9% of arrivals; the Americas at 7%; Africa 4%; and Australasia 2%.
The city's diverse offerings, supported by world-class infrastructure and exceptional services, were recognised in the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2024. Dubai's position as a global hub for remote workers and its recognition in various indices underscore its appeal for both business and leisure.
The hospitality sector played a pivotal role in this success, outperforming pre-pandemic levels. With an occupancy rate of 77.4% across its 150,000 room keys, Dubai's hotels achieved one of the world's highest levels, with a surge in occupied room nights to 41.7 million.
In terms of airport performance, DXB welcomed 86,994,365 passengers in 2023, up by 31.7% from the previous year and slightly surpassing 2019 figures.
The airport saw robust growth in the second half, with December as the busiest month. DXB is connected to 262 destinations across 104 countries via 102 international carriers. India led as the top destination country with 11.9 million guests, followed by Saudi Arabia (6.7 million) and the UK (5.9 million). Other significant markets included Pakistan, the US, Russia, and Germany.