Dubai’s tourism sector records highest visitor numbers since February as Arabian Travel Market 2026 opens

Dubai’s tourism industry is increasingly demonstrating its strength, with the city’s hotel sector delivering sustained performance growth, according to the latest data released by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) ahead of the opening day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026.

The performance through August reflects the strength of the systems, partnerships and diversified market base that Dubai and its partners have built over the years. It is a testament to the resolve of an industry that has continued to invest, innovate and deliver for its guests, and it underlines confidence in the destination’s position heading into the final months of 2026.

Hotel occupancy reached 66% in August, representing 89% of the city’s occupancy levels in August 2025, and continuing a steep climb from 36% occupancy in March 2026. That sustained upward trajectory is a clear signal of underlying demand and the strength of Dubai’s hospitality sector. As a number of properties have begun implementing extensive renovation projects to further elevate the guest experience and embed future readiness, hotel room inventory approached 149,000 rooms by the end of August 2026. In the first eight months of the year, the emirate’s hotels recorded 21.61 million occupied room nights, underscoring the scale at which the industry continues to operate.

The strong hotel performance was reflected in visitor numbers, with Dubai welcoming approximately 869,000 international overnight visitors in August 2026, building on month-on-month, double-digit growth since March. This represented its strongest monthly volume since February 2026, taking total international visitation to 6.97 million across the first eight months of the year.

Dubai continued to draw visitors from a broad mix of international source regions. Western Europe remained the leading regional contributor from January to August, accounting for 20% of visitation, followed by South Asia at 17%, the GCC at 16%, and CIS and Eastern Europe at 14%. This diversified mix provides a vast international base from which DET and its partners can continue to stimulate demand across established and emerging markets. It also aligns with the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33, to further consolidate Dubai’s position as a leading global destination for business and leisure and build a resilient and future-focused visitor economy.

Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, said: “The true grit of any city is tested not when the path is smooth, but during challenging times, and in line with our leadership’s direction, we do not wait for the perfect conditions to continue delivering.

The results so far this year reflect the continued efforts of everyone who contributes to Dubai’s visitor economy, from our global hospitality and tourism partners to the people across the city who co-create the experience visitors come here to enjoy. We are proud of the way our industry has performed over recent months, as Dubai continues to welcome international visitors at significant scale, supported by a source market mix that remains consistently diverse, extensive hospitality infrastructure, and an evolving destination offering.

“Arabian Travel Market marks an important opportunity to build on that progress and support our industry. It allows us to sit down with our partners from around the world, listen to what they are seeing in their markets, and work together on where the opportunities lie. Our focus remains on close collaborations with our industry, strengthening demand across established and emerging markets, and continuing to give visitors compelling reasons to choose Dubai. The strength of those foundations and partnerships gives us confidence as we look to the remainder of 2026 and beyond.”

Taking place from 14-17 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the 33rd edition of ATM brings the global travel and tourism community together in Dubai at an important time for the industry, as markets focus on increasing demand and identifying new opportunities. For DET and its partners, the event provides an important platform to strengthen relationships with the international travel trade, develop new opportunities across key markets and showcase the continued evolution of the destination.

DET is joined at ATM 2026 by more than 115 co-exhibitors from across Dubai’s tourism ecosystem, spanning hotel groups, attractions, destination management companies and aviation partners, as well as government entities. Their participation reflects the collaborative public-private partnership model that continues to underpin Dubai’s tourism strategy and enables the destination to present a broad and integrated offering to travel trade professionals from around the world.

The department is also hosting more than 300 international travel trade professionals from over 40 countries through its ATM Hosted Buyers Programme. The initiative gives buyers who promote and sell Dubai first-hand exposure to the destination and opportunities to meet directly with tourism stakeholders, discover new products and experiences, and deepen their knowledge of the city’s evolving visitor offering.

Across ATM, DET and its partners are showcasing the continued development of Dubai’s tourism proposition, spanning hospitality, gastronomy, culture, entertainment, wellness, accessibility, sustainability and family experiences. The city’s focus for 2026 also includes strengthening global connectivity, further enhancing accessibility for autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors and advancing initiatives including Dubai Sustainable Tourism, and Dubai Can.

Throughout 2026, DET has continued to build on the ways it reaches international audiences and strengthen advocacy for the destination. These include ongoing engagement with international travel trade representatives, market briefings and roadshows, international campaigns and partnerships tailored to key source markets. The recent DET-driven ‘A Dubai Invite’ also empowered Dubai residents from almost 200 nationalities to invite family and friends to experience the city, with over 90,000 residents applying for benefits through the programme.

Together, these activities are designed to recognise some of our most valuable ambassadors, maintain Dubai’s visibility, favourability and consideration, deepen relationships across priority markets, and support future demand for the destination.

Earlier this year, amid the regional situation that impacted global travel, Dubai’s Government delivered an AED2.5 billion package directly supporting the tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors. The city has rapidly rescaled its global connectivity, spearheaded by Emirates, which has restored 97% of its global network, and through Dubai International Airport (DXB), where load factors continue to strengthen, approaching 2025 levels.

DET’s participation at ATM will continue throughout the four-day event, with a programme of meetings, partner engagements and industry discussions focused on strengthening Dubai’s international tourism relationships and supporting future demand across the tourism economy.

WAM