Dubai: Where do most tourists fly in from? Full list revealed

Dubai welcomed 5.31 million visitors from around the world from January to March this year, marking a 3 per cent YoY (year-on-year) increase compared to the first three months of 2024, the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) announced on Saturday.

“The robust growth demonstrates the city’s continued global appeal, building on the overall 9 per cent growth in 2024 to , and putting Dubai on course to set new benchmarks (in tourism) following consecutive record years (starting in 2023),” DET noted.

The latest report also comes ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) — starting Monday, April 28 until Thursday, May 1 — where DET will showcase the city’s tourism and hospitality sectors. DET will be joined by more than 125 partners and stakeholders on the Dubai stand at ATM 2025.

“The sustained growth of (Dubai’s) tourism sector, which will come into focus at ATM, continues to be vital not only through its direct economic impact, but as a pathway to investment, talent and businesses into the city,” noted Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), part of DET.

He added: “We will work to achieve our goals through a multi-pronged approach and by enhancing global visibility with dynamic marketing campaigns, as well as by strengthening collaborations with key domestic stakeholders and international partners.”

Where do Dubai's visitors come from?

According to DET, Dubai has a diversified approach with bespoke strategies and activities in more than 80 markets.

From January to March 2025, the Western Europe region was Dubai’s biggest source market with 1.15 million visitors, a 22 per cent overall share. This is followed by CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Eastern Europe with 891,000 (or 17 per cent share) and GCC with 772,000 visitors (15 per cent).

South Asia and MENA were fourth and fifth, accounting for 752,000 (14 per cent) and 620,000 (12 per cent) visitors respectively. The North-East Asia and South-East Asia region recorded 474,000 visitors to Dubai (9 per cent share), followed by the Americas 374,000 (7 per cent), Africa 197,000 (4 per cent) and Australasia 78,000 (1 per cent).

Dubai’s hospitality sector continued to register a strong performance in the first quarter of 2025. The ADR or average daily rate (measurement used to calculate the average daily revenue of occupied rooms) rose 2 per cent year-on-year to Dh647.

Tourism and hospitality continue to be key drivers for , with the accommodation and food services sector achieving a 3.7 per cent increase in the first nine months of 2024, reaching a value of Dh11.5 billion. These sectors have also played a pivotal role in (FDI) to the emirate. In 2024, Dubai was ranked as the world’s for a fourth successive year, with the city No.1 globally in the food and beverages (F&B) and tourism sectors.

Milestones in Q1 2025

DET said there were also a number of milestones in the first quarter of the year that contributed to Dubai’s tourism growth, such as Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) drive that saw 153 hotels awarded with the DST Stamp in recognition of their compliance with DET’s ‘19 Sustainability Requirements’.

Marketing campaigns also played a big part in attracting tourists such as the new campaign, ‘Find Your Story’, launched by DET in April starring showcasing adventures travelers can enjoy even during a brief stopover in the city.

DET added Dubai is likewise a top choice for international conferences such as and Arab Health. In Q1, the city hosted cultural festivals for Ramadan and Eid, plus major sporting events like the Hero Dubai Desert Classic golf tournament, and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.