Dubai sets out 2026 tourism growth plan at final city briefing of the year

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) gathered more than 1,200 industry stakeholders on 9 December for its second and final City Briefing of 2025, outlining progress across the tourism economy and plans to support another year of growth.

The event, held at Global Village courtesy of Dubai Holding Entertainment, brought together players from hospitality, aviation, retail and F&B, along with government representatives and media. DET used the session to underline the importance of public and private sector coordination in meeting the ambitions of the Dubai Economic Agenda, D33.

In the presence of Helal Saeed Almarri, DG of DET, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, opened the briefing with an update on performance and Dubai’s strategy for 2026.

Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international overnight visitors in 2024, a record high, and continued its momentum in 2025 with 15.70 million visitors from January to October, a rise of 5 per cent year on year.

Hotels posted an average occupancy of 79.4 per cent, compared to 77 per cent in the same period last year. The average daily rate increased 6 per cent to Dhs531 and revenue per available room reached Dhs421, up 9 per cent.

The city had 152,875 rooms across 820 establishments at the end of October.

Kazim said Dubai’s progress reflected collaboration, innovation and sustained investment. He highlighted diversification in source markets, year-round global campaigns and a growing focus on sustainability and accessibility. DET would continue expanding digital platforms, developing new experiences and strengthening Dubai’s position as a place to visit, live and work, he said.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, said the city’s events calendar remained central to its appeal. He pointed to the Dubai Fitness Challenge, which has become a large community movement, and the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival, which is set to celebrate its tenth retail calendar edition in 2026.

Major announcements this year by Dubai’s DET

A major announcement during the briefing was the Hotel Incentive Programme, launched in October to support development in future high growth zones including Dubai South, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Parks and Dubai Islands. Investors in new hotels, resorts and hotel apartments in these areas will receive a full reimbursement of the Dubai Municipality fee on room sales and the Tourism Dirham for two years after opening.

DET also highlighted upcoming openings such as Ciel Dubai Marina, billed as the world’s tallest hotel, as well as the Mandarin Oriental Downtown, the wellbeing resort Therme Dubai, Dubai Museum of Art, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Square Mall and the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport. Infrastructure projects include the Dubai Metro Blue Line, 226 km of new roads and 115 bridges and tunnels, and extensive upgrades to walking routes as part of the Dubai Walk Master Plan.

Several institutions celebrated milestones, including the Dubai International Financial Centre at 20 years, Global Village at 30 editions, The Emirates Group at 40 years, Mall of the Emirates and Ski Dubai at 20 years, Dubai Design District at its 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of Jumeirah Burj Al Arab.

Ahead of 2026, Dubai is preparing for the 30th Dubai World Cup and the 10th Dubai Fitness Challenge.

Ramadan in 2026 was another focal point, with DET outlining plans to balance Dubai’s openness to international visitors with cultural immersion and heritage experiences. Strong forward hotel bookings suggest confidence among travellers.

DET also reviewed global recognition, including Lonely Planet naming food tours in Old Dubai as one of the top travel experiences for 2026, and the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Dubai listing 119 restaurants across 35 cuisines. The city is now home to two three star MICHELIN restaurants, FZN by Björn Frantzén and Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant worldwide to receive three stars.

Updates on global campaigns were also shared, with DET focusing on attracting winter travellers, engaging African audiences through influencers, targeting peak booking windows in Japan and rolling out digital first content for China and the Asia Pacific region.

Sustainability took centre stage through the Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp, aligned with the D33 Agenda and UAE Net Zero 2050. More than 60 per cent of reef modules for DUBAI REEF have been fabricated and over 35 per cent deployed, supporting marine habitats. DET also reaffirmed its push to strengthen accessibility after Dubai became the first Certified Autism Destination in the Eastern Hemisphere earlier this year.

Community engagement continues through the #MyDubai initiative, which has engaged more than 1,500 advocates with a reach of over 3.1 million. The #MyDubai Communities platform, launched earlier this year, now features 130 interest-based groups attracting thousands of followers.

Al Khaja reported record participation in the latest Dubai Fitness Challenge, with more than three million residents and visitors taking part. He noted the Dubai Shopping Festival, which runs until January 11, remains a key driver in the retail calendar.

Fireside chat

In a fireside chat, Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey joined DET’s Aida Al Busaidy to discuss the launch of the Beautiful Destinations Academy, a professional training programme for global content creators based in Dubai. The academy supports the D33 vision by introducing formal standards for the creator economy.

A separate panel with DET’s Issam Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and CCO Adnan Kazim and Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths examined Dubai’s aviation growth. The discussion covered plans to streamline passenger journeys, operational priorities at Dubai International Airport and the long term role of Al Maktoum International Airport in expanding capacity as Dubai positions itself as the world’s largest aviation hub.

Kazim closed the session by pointing to the strong pipeline of new attractions and the city’s busy events calendar. He said continued collaboration across sectors would be central to sustaining momentum through 2026 and beyond.