Dubai marks annual tourism record with 17 million visitors in 2023
A jump of 19.4 per cent…
Last year was a big one for Dubai in terms of tourism, as the city hit an all-time record by welcoming more than 17 million international tourists during the year. More visitors than ever before landed in the city last year, firmly cementing Dubai’s position as a top holiday destination in the world.
According to the latest data published by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), 17.15 million overnight visitors came to Dubai throughout the year. The scale represents a 19.4 per cent year-on-year growth in the statistics from last year, as 2022 saw 14.36 million tourist arrivals.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “Dubai’s ability to constantly generate diverse and refreshingly novel travel and tourism experiences catering to a wide range of visitors has been a key factor behind this exceptional performance”.
The Dubai Economic Agenda D33
The previous record was created before the pandemic, in 2019, sitting at 16.73 million tourists. The progress in the annual performance serves the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, launched over a year ago by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The Dubai Economic Agenda D33 aims to make Dubai the best city to visit, live and work in. To quantify that, the plan is to further establish Dubai’s position as one of the top three global cities for both business and leisure.
Other telling statistics include the occupancy metrics, which remain among the highest in the world – average occupancy for the hotel sector in 2023 stood at 77.4 per cent. Hotel room inventory at the end of December 2023 sat at 150,000 rooms at 821 establishments and occupied room nights also set a new record with 41.70 million.
You might also like
A great year overall
Dubai also topped the list of the best cities in the world for executive nomads last year. The study, conducted by Savills, is based on a number of factors including quality of life, climate, air connectivity, internet speed, and prime residential rental market.
Some of the factors that put Dubai in the winning position include year-round sun, low crime rates, a tax-free environment, an impressive dining scene, fabulous hotels and beaches.
Earlier last year, Dubai International Airport was named the World’s Busiest Airport for most international travellers, meanwhile, the UAE ranked first globally for mobile internet speeds.
Images: Supplied
