It’s not every day a city manages to pull 7.15 million international tourists through its glimmering gates before the year’s even warmed up — but then again, Dubai isn’t just any city. It’s the glamorous overachiever of the Middle East, the place where records are made to be broken — and preferably with fireworks and a light show.
From January to April 2025, the Emirate welcomed over 7 million international overnight guests, chalking up a tidy 7% year-on-year increase. That’s on top of the staggering 18.72 million who showed up in 2024, which was already a record-busting year in its own right. To borrow an old cricketing phrase: they’re not just playing the game — they’re rewriting the scoreboard.
G’day Dubai – Australasians Arrive in Droves
And who’s helping to fuel this surge? Well, down here in the Antipodes, we’ve taken a shine to the shimmering sands and skyline of Dubai. A record-breaking 111,000 travellers from Australia and New Zealand made their way to the city in those first four months — a 14% jump compared to last year. Whether it’s the duty-free shopping, the rooftop infinity pools, or the allure of a camel ride followed by Wagyu at Nobu, Dubai seems to have hit all the right notes with the Southern Hemisphere set.
Hotel Heaven: More Beds, More Guests, More Glory
At its first City Briefing of 2025, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) unveiled the city’s impressive accommodation arsenal. As of April’s end, the town boasted a substantial 153,534 hotel rooms, spread across properties ranging from luxury landmarks to stylish budget accommodations. Crucially, the hotel sector isn’t just expanding — it’s thriving. All significant performance indicators were up, and occupancy rates are dancing happily in the black.
Issam Kazim, CEO of the Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), was understandably buoyant:
“These figures reflect the dedication of our entire tourism ecosystem. From hoteliers and chefs to airlines and retail teams, this has been a full-throttle team effort.”
Well said. It takes a village — or in this case, a visionary city backed by a deeply motivated tourism machine.
Star-Studded Suppers and MICHELIN Magic
If Dubai’s soaring visitor numbers were built on sand, they’d never last — but this is a destination where even the sand is served with saffron foam and a micro herb garnish. The city’s culinary credentials were front and centre in DET’s latest Gastronomy Industry Report.
In 2024 alone, Dubai dished out 1,200 new restaurant licences, further cementing its place as a global hub of dining diversity. And just in case there was any lingering doubt, the MICHELIN Guide’s 2025 edition has given the city a gold star—or several.
The new Guide covers 119 restaurants across 35 different cuisines — an increase of 12.3% from the previous year. For the first time ever, Dubai boasts not one, but two MICHELIN three-star restaurants: the much-whispered-about FZN by Björn Frantzén and the ever-inventive Trèsind Studio. Add to that three two-starred venues, 14 with one star, 22 Bib Gourmand entries, and a few nods to sustainability via the MICHELIN Green Star — and you’ve got a city that’s dining in fine form.
Campaigns That Sell the Sizzle
Of course, it’s not just the food doing the talking. Dubai’s marketing might is flexing its muscles in all the right places. DET’s long-term D33 Agenda continues to shape the emirate’s tourism playbook, and its recent global campaigns are winning hearts and eyeballs alike.
The cheeky ‘Dubai. That’s How You Summer’ campaign launched at the City Briefing, showing off the city’s unique proposition: the art of “doing nothing while doing everything.” It’s been splashed across screens, pages, and social media accounts worldwide — and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to perfect the art of poolside nothingness in a six-star resort?
Not stopping there, DET also rolled out the star-powered ‘Find Your Story’ campaign, fronted by Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi. Equal parts sci-fi and storybook, the campaign portrays Dubai as both a destination and a daydream, where even a short layover becomes a chapter worth retelling.
What Comes Next?
Kazim summed it up best when he said:
“As we chart the second half of the year and beyond, we’ll lean on what’s worked — a multi-pronged strategy, private-public synergy, and our storytelling chops that keep Dubai front-of-mind for global travellers.”
And if the first quarter is anything to go by, Dubai’s second half of 2025 will be even more sun-drenched, star-studded, and statistic-smashing. The desert city, with its futuristic towers and old-world souks, continues to be a masterclass in how to turn ambition into arrivals.
Whether you’re there for the hummus or the haute couture, the falcons or the Ferraris, there’s little doubt: Dubai is doing tourism its own way — and the world’s still showing up for more.
By Michelle Warner
