UAE tourism sector banks US$12...

Total number of annual hotel guests tipped 30.8 million

Hotels in the UAE recorded a 3% annual rise in revenue to AED45 billion (US$12.3 billion) in 2024, reflecting a significant tourism uplift.

The hotel occupancy rate hit 78% during the same period, ranking among the highest within the region.

In 2024, the number of hotel guests in the UAE reached 30.8 million, up 9.5% from the same period in 2023, according to Minister of Economy representative Abdulla bin Touq.

He said this represented 77% of the hotel guest target set by the National Tourism Strategy 2031.

“With the current growth trajectory, we are well on track to achieving the strategy’s ambitious goal of attracting 40 million hotel guests,” added Touq.

“This growth was supported by the opening of 16 new hotels across the seven emirates, taking the total number of hotels in the country to 1,251 by the end of the year. In addition, the number of hotel rooms also grew, reaching 216,966 by the end of 2024, up 3%.”

The National Tourism Strategy 2031, launched in November 2022, aims to attract 40 million hotel guests by 2031, bringing AED100 billion in tourism investment to the UAE.

It includes 25 initiatives and policies to support the development of the tourism sector in the country. It will also encourage investment in travel, aviation and hospitality, create new investment opportunities, and attract more international companies to the local market.

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