Dubai’s tourism and hospitality sector continues to demonstrate strong performance, with hotel occupancy reaching 66% in August 2026, equivalent to 89% of the occupancy level recorded in August 2025. Hotel room inventory approached 149,000 rooms, while hotels recorded 21.61 million occupied room nights during the first eight months of 2026. Dubai welcomed approximately 869,000 international overnight visitors in August, taking total international visitation to 6.97 million from January to August. Western Europe led source markets with 20%, followed by South Asia at 17% and the GCC at 16%.
The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) is participating in the 33rd Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, taking place from 14–17 September at Dubai World Trade Centre. DET is joined by more than 115 co-exhibitors from Dubai’s tourism ecosystem and is hosting over 300 international travel trade professionals from more than 40 countries through the ATM Hosted Buyers Programme. His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said the event provides an important platform to strengthen global partnerships, develop new opportunities and drive future demand for Dubai.
India remains a strategically important source market for Dubai. DET recently concluded its largest-ever India roadshow, bringing together 28 stakeholders representing 88 entities, including 37 hotels, 41 attractions, nine DMCs and one airline, across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. The roadshow highlighted strong confidence in the October–December travel season, with growing Indian interest in premium and luxury travel, wellness, MICE and bespoke itineraries. Dubai Business Events (DBE) also had its largest-ever India representation. DET continues to strengthen Dubai’s global tourism proposition through initiatives focused on hospitality, gastronomy, culture, entertainment, wellness, accessibility and sustainability, supported by an AED 2.5 billion package for the tourism, hospitality and entertainment sectors.