Dubai Reports Strong Visitor Numbers

Suffice it to say that Dubai is well on its way to a full tourism recovery, as evidenced by newly released tourism numbers.

The destination welcomed 6.17 million international visitors from January to May 2022, up from approximately 2 million during the same period last year, said the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) during its first biannual City Briefing for 2022.

The influx in visitors translated into an average hotel occupancy of 76 percent from January to May 2022, which put the destination ahead of New York, London and Paris, whose occupancies were 61 percent, 60 percent and 57 percent, respectively, during the same time period, according to STR, the hotel analytics firm.

“We are building on the massive momentum generated by the hugely successful Expo 2020 to drive growth across all our tourism pillars from cultural to culinary experiences, while working towards achieving the ambitious goal of making Dubai the most visited destination and the city of the future that will be the best place in the world to live and work,” said DET Director General Helal Saeed Almarri.

In addition to Expo 2020 and savvy global campaigns, visitor growth has also been spurred by the recent opening of a slate of hotels, including Movenpick JVT, W Mina Seyahi and Taj Exotica Resort & Spa the Palm.

Later this year, Atlantis, The Royal; Marriott Resort Palm Jumeirah; and Hilton Dubai Jumeirah are scheduled to debut.

“As we look ahead to the remainder of 2022 and beyond, we will harness the key elements that have ensured the industry’s steady growth year after year since we reopened to international visitors in 2020 – providing an unparalleled diverse destination offering that offers unique value and memorable experiences for our guests,” Helal Almarri said.