In 2024, the hospitality market in Dubai will show the highest occupancy rates recorded in the last eight years, despite the emergence of approximately 46,500 additional hospitality units from 2017 to 2024. This growth has been significantly driven by the development of the tourism sector in Dubai over recent years.
Data from the Dubai Department of Economics and Tourism indicate that by the end of 2024, the overall hotel occupancy level will reach 78.2% for about 154,000 hotel rooms, compared to an occupancy level of 78% for about 107,000 hotel rooms in 2017.
The increase in hotel occupancy levels by the end of 2024 was marked compared to 2023 (77.4%), 2022 (72.9%), 2021 (66.8%), 2020 (54%), 2019 (75%), and 2018 (76%). These impressive results were achieved despite the emergence of thousands of "villas for rent" in the market in recent years.
The number of available hotel rooms in Dubai at the end of December last year totaled approximately 154,016 hospitality units in 832 establishments compared to about 150,291 hospitality units in 821 establishments in 2023. This data allowed Dubai to significantly move ahead compared to such major cities as New York, Bangkok, Paris, and Singapore.
The regional director for "Hotels by Jannah" in Dubai and the general manager of the "Jannah Grand" hotel, Fahi Hodjli, noted that in 2024, the hospitality market showed record-high occupancy levels that exceeded expectations. He pointed out that this growth was driven by several factors that made Dubai a preferred destination for travelers from all over the world.
According to him, according to the premium tourism segment, the massive growth of hotel occupancy was facilitated by global events held in Dubai in 2024, an increase in the diversity of tourist products, and new tourist attractions, which made Dubai an attractive place for those looking to combine leisure and business trips.
General director of the "Taman Marina" hotel, Walid Al-Alaura, noted that Dubai continues to strengthen its position as one of the leading global travel destinations in 2024, establishing record indicators for international tourists, with more than 18.72 million foreign visitors, which is 9% higher than the 2023 figures.
