The UAE has reinforced its role as a central player in the global tourism industry, achieving record-breaking results across travel, hospitality, and aviation.
The sector contributed AED257.3bn ($70.1bn) to the national economy in 2024, representing 13 per cent of GDP — a 3.2 per cent increase compared to 2023 and 26 per cent higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, highlighted the milestones ahead of World Tourism Day on 27th September.
UAE tourism growth
He noted the launch of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 and the election of Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais as the first Emirati to serve as Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organisation for the 2026–2029 term.
The UAE also ranked among the top seven global destinations for international tourist spending and achieved leading positions in aviation competitiveness indicators, notably the Quality of Air Transport Infrastructure index.
Visitor spending reflected this momentum, with international tourists contributing AED217.3bn ($59.2bn) in 2024, up 5.8 per cent from 2023 and 30.4 per cent higher than 2019.
Domestic tourism spending reached AED57.6bn ($15.7bn), rising 2.4 per cent year-on-year and 41 per cent compared to 2019.
Hotel revenues reached nearly AED45bn ($12.3bn) in 2024, with occupancy at 78 per cent — among the highest globally.
The country hosted around 30.75m hotel guests last year, a 9.5 per cent increase from 28.08m in 2023, achieving 77 per cent of the national target of 40m annual guests.
The momentum extended into 2025, with more than 16m hotel guests recorded in the first half, a 5.5 per cent increase from H1 2024.
Hotel revenues in the same period reached AED26bn ($7.1bn), up 6.3 per cent. The UAE now operates 1,243 hotels with over 216,000 rooms, with 16 new properties added in 2024.
Projections suggest guest numbers could reach 33 million in 2025, with revenues expected to grow 7 per cent year-on-year.
Aviation remains a cornerstone of the UAE’s tourism success. Passenger traffic through UAE airports exceeded 1bn between 2015 and 2024, with aircraft movements rising to over 6.4m.
International visitor arrivals grew from 15m in 2014 to more than 29m in 2024. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, airports handled 102.9m passengers, up 5.3 per cent from the same period in 2024.
Infrastructure investment is keeping pace. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, recently approved the designs for the new passenger terminal at Al Maktoum International Airport.
Valued at AED128bn ($34.8bn), the facility is set to become the world’s largest, with a capacity of 260m passengers.
Tourism investments rose from AED28.8bn ($7.8bn) in 2023 to AED32.2bn ($8.8bn) in 2024, with projections of AED35.2bn ($9.6bn) in 2025. Campaigns such as the “World’s Coolest Winter” initiative have also delivered strong results, generating around AED6.7bn ($1.8bn) in hotel revenues over five editions and reaching more than 1.2bn people globally.
The UAE is further strengthening its international role by hosting the UAE Africa Tourism Investment Summit on 27th October 2025 in Dubai, as part of the Future Hospitality Summit.
The event will bring together tourism ministers and officials from 53 African nations, cementing the country’s position as a trusted partner in tourism investment.
