ANNUAL

VISITOR
REPORT

2014

INTRODUCTION

FOREWORD
It gives me great pleasure to present Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce
Marketings (Dubai Tourism) 2014 Annual Visitor Report. A collation of key tourism
metrics, trends and insights, this inaugural report demonstrates the strong strides that
the tourism industry continues to make toward realising the Tourism Vision for Dubai of
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime
Minister and Ruler of Dubai. With the goal of welcoming 20 million annual visitors by
2020, and amplifying tourism impact on the Emirates GDP, Dubai Tourism
comprehensively monitors performance across global demand and competitive
intensity, the effectiveness and supply of our proposition, and our ability to deliver a
rounded destination experience to leisure and business travellers.
This Annual Report reflects key milestones and achievements during 2014, marking the
close of a positive 12-month period of programmes that has ensured we remain firmly
on track to achieving our long-term target. This includes the headline statistic of 13.2
million international overnight visitors, a metric not previously measured and not to be
confused with the 11.6 million hotel guests number announced earlier this year. Thanks
to various strategic initiatives including policy reforms implemented in 2013-2014, last
year saw sustained momentum in visitor growth from our key source markets, and
healthy acceleration in many emerging feeder geographies. The breadth and depth of
our destination proposition across various key audience segments has continued to
evolve and diversify, and there are numerous new offerings in the pipeline, which will
further augment Dubais attractiveness, ensuring the Emirate is poised to meet the
needs of even the most discerning of future travellers to Dubai.
Heading into the second half of 2015, we continue to collaborate with our industry
partners, building on the 2014 success, and further improving consideration for Dubai as
the first choice for global destination travellers as well as for businesses. Working
closely with the government and private sector, Dubai Tourism will keep abreast of
global dynamics, mitigate risks, and ensure facilitation of a world-class destination
experience across key touchpoints ultimately capturing greater share of the global
tourism market and greater value for the entire industry.
The progress we have achieved in 2014 is thanks to the exceptional support and
continued contribution from our private and public sector stakeholders and partners
that will be instrumental in enabling us to welcome even more visitors to Dubai in 2015.
HelalSaeedAlmarri
Director General
Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

CONTENTS
ATTRACTING VISITORS
STRATEGICALLY DIVERSIFIED VISITORS
FLEXIBLE DESTINATION 
THE DUBAI VISITOR EXPERIENCE
GEARING UP FOR SUSTAINED GROWTH
METHODOLOGY AND KEY TERMS 
2

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
3

ATTRACTING VISITORS:
13.2M FROM AROUND THE WORLD

IN 2014

Dubai continues to be a leading destination for international

global average in tourism growth due to a number of factors

visitors. The city welcomed 13.2 million international overnight

including the hub status of Dubai International Airport (DXB); a

travellers in 2014, a promising result considering pressures on

diverse set of inbound markets, making the Emirate resilient to

the global economy, volatile currencies, and an 80-day partial

geography-specific economic fluctuations; a continuingly

runway closure at Dubai International Airport (DXB) for

evolving destination offer; and the accelerating trend of travel

upgrades. Compared to 2013, international visitors grew by

between emerging and mature destinations both for pleasure

8.2% outpacing the global tourism sector average of 4.7%

and business development. That being said, a critical advantage

growth (UNWTO-World Tourism Organisation). Continuing its

that truly differentiates Dubai is the unparalleled support of

rise in global rankings of destinations most visited by

industry stakeholders who are committed to a shared vision for

international travellers, Dubai secured a top 5 position alongside

sustainable growth.

London, Bangkok, Paris, and Singapore (MasterCard Global

Destination Cities Index 2014). The study predicts that if Dubais

OVERNIGHT VISITORS

TOP 10 SOURCE MARKETS

13.2M

2014
GLOBAL
RANKING

GROWTH IN VOLUME
2013-14

8.2%

KEY TRENDING MARKETS

growth rates continue, the city may exceed Singapore and Paris in
the next five years, placing it in the top 3.

Fuelling demand in 2014 were the top 10 feeder markets that

remained key contributors to travel volumes, both for business

and leisure, most of which grew at circa 8%. Key markets that
delivered exceptional double digit growth were emerging travel
source countries for Dubai such as China, Nigeria, Brazil, and
several Eastern European nations with fast growing middleclass populations and high disposable incomes.

45% 55%
HIGHLYDIVERSIFIED
MARKETS

TOP 10
SOURCE
MARKETS

Dubais success as a tourism hub can be traced back to its

history as a centre for international exchange, from a vital
trading post during the 20th century to a modern-day
transcontinental gateway. Dubai has continued to outpace the

10

RANK IN 2014

GROWTH 2014 vs 2013

% SHARE OF DUBAIS TOTAL VISITORS

% INCREASE IN VISITORS

KSA

10%

Romania

64%

India

10%

Poland

51%

UK

8%

Czech Republic

28%

Oman

7%

China

27%

USA

4%

Egypt

27%

Pakistan

4%

Nigeria

26%

Kuwait

3%

Kenya

24%

Iran

3%

Jordan

19%

Germany

3%

Turkey

15%

10

Russia

3%

10

Brazil

15%

SOURCE OF VISITORS BY REGION

TOP GLOBAL DESTINATION CITIES

MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index

W. EUROPE

22%

RUSSIA, CIS
& E. EUROPE

7%

MENA
AMERICAS

7%

SUBSAHARAN
AFRICA

6%

11%

GCC

22%

S. ASIA

14%

N.E.&
S.E. ASIA

8%

3%

AUSTRALASIA

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

2012

2013

2014

London

Bangkok

London

Paris

London

Bangkok

Bangkok

Paris

Paris

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore

Istanbul

New York

Dubai

Hong Kong

Istanbul

New York

Madrid

Dubai

Istanbul

8 Dubai

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur

Frankfurt

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

10

Kuala Lumpur

Barcelona

Seoul

TRAVELLER
DEMOGRAPHICS

STRATEGICALLY DIVERSIFIED VISITORS:

MARKETS AND SEGMENTS
Dubai Tourism has strategically sought to ensure a fragmented

while solo travellers constituted 30% of the base. Hence, the

source market approach, mitigating risks associated with

average party size of 2.5 visitors reflects a significantly larger

over-reliance on any specific region or geography. The result is

family size travelling on leisure visits, which in turn informs the

a rich diversity in our visitor demographic that mirrors the

hotel accommodation offering. Today less than 25% of visitors

inherent diversity of Dubais resident society. The purpose of

to Dubai stay in holiday rentals, with friends and relatives, or

visit although dominated by leisure at 59%, had over 21%

on cruise liners. Therefore, with 75% of tourists reliant on

visiting for business, and another 17% visiting friends and/or

hotels and serviced apartments for accommodation, it is

relatives (VFR). The latter two categories are particularly key

critical that the supply pipeline delivers quality, capacity and

in terms of repeat volumes and building a base of Dubai visitor

value, and aligns with specific segment needs to ensure that

loyalists. Families remain a priority target for Dubai Tourisms

Dubai remains top on the consideration list for travellers

marketing efforts, reflected in their 47% share of total tourists,

world-wide.

APPEALING
TO AN IMPORTANT
SEGMENT: WOMEN
TRAVELLERS

42%

GENDER

PURPOSE OF VISIT
(LENGTH OF STAY)
OTHER

3%

VISIT FRIENDS & RELATIVES

17%

11.5

DAYS

BUSINESS

5.5

COLLEAGUES

5%
PURPOSE
OF VISIT

59%

21%

LEISURE

7.5

FRIENDS

INDIVIDUALS

18%

30%

FAMILY/COUPLES

47%

DAYS

DAYS
Female travellers are vital to the tourism industry, not only in terms of travel habits

PARTY MAKE UP

ACCOMMODATION CHOICE

and preferences, but also given their role in decision making when it comes to
holidays, their increasing independence in travel, and their rising disposable income.
According to the Boston Consulting Group, women controlled USD20 trillion in

(FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS)

annual consumer spending in 2013, and their earned income is growing at 8.1%
versus 5.8% for men. The top source markets for female visitors to Dubai include the
UK, Saudi Arabia, and India all of which are within a convenient direct flight,
offering a stress-free, safe, and highly cosmopolitan environment.

STAY WITH FRIENDS & RELATIVES

OTHER
HOLIDAY RENTAL
SECOND HOME
CRUISE

22%
75%

3%

HOTEL & HOTEL

APARTMENT

ACCOMMODATION
CHOICE

2.5

Dubai is already experiencing positive trends for this demographic - women average
a longer length of stay (8.9 days) and exceed male visitation numbers on almost
every attraction. According to Dubai Tourisms visitor survey, nearly 86% of the
female travellers indicated a high degree of satisfaction confirming that the current
destination offering meets the requirements for this fast-growing and highly
attractive target audience. Looking ahead, Dubai Tourism will continue working to
exceed expectations with this segment through a host of luxury, lifestyle, and family
initiatives. In addition to the retail and family investments mentioned elsewhere in
the report, Dubai Tourism is also focusing on women in its marketing. For example,

AVERAGE PARTY SIZE

in 2014, Dubai Tourism targeted Australias luxury market with the release of the
Girls Guide to Dubai promoting the wealth of female and family-friendly options
available such as luxury hotels, shopping, beaches, spas, and restaurants.

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

FLEXIBLE DESTINATION:
48 HOURS TO 7 NIGHTS

AVERAGE LENGTH
OF STAY
IN 2014

7.8

DIVERSITY ACROSS KEY PROPOSITION PILLARS

Dubai as a city has constantly grown through exploring and

attracted 5% of visitors who enjoyed the indoor snow park,

Average visit duration in Dubai has

pushing the boundaries of possibilities. Its product proposition

while a multitude of others viewed from the two-storey pane

grown consistently over recent years

as a destination mirrors this spirit showcasing a remarkable

inside the Mall of the Emirates. Beach experiences and visits to

moving from stop-over transit city to a

contrast from culture to adventure, and from the untouched

heritage and cultural districts are also a must for Dubais

fully-fledged two-week vacation choice.

serene to the hi-tech modern luxury. Tourists have an array of

visitors, at 42% and 38% respectively.

In 2014, the length of stay averaged 7.8

experiences that cut across the strategic pillars of Dubais

destination offering: Beach and Marine, Retail, Outdoor
Adventure, Family Activities, Culture and Art, Gastronomy and
Events, tailored to comprehensively meet leisure and business
traveller needs.
One of Dubais top attractions, The Dubai Mall, drew 70% of all
international visitors and has become one of the top 10 most
geo-tagged locations on Instagram. The Mall provides yearround family attractions, such as the Dubai Aquarium, the
worlds largest dancing fountains, and sightseeing access to
the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa. Meanwhile, Ski Dubai,
a truly unique experience of skiing in the middle of the desert,

EXCITE.
ENTERTAIN.
EDUCATE.

DAYS

With cuisines from over 200 cultures easily accessible, whether

in long-established family restaurants or catered by Michelinstarred Chefs, Dubai is also growing its reputation as a

days higher than London at 6.1 days,

and similar to New York City at 7.6
nights. Despite the potential high
volume of business and repeat

destination for Gastronomic Experiences.

travellers, this average duration is a

Similarly, across business and leisure events, the city

infrastructure and calendar are continuously being enhanced
to either specifically attract niche segments, or increase
Dubais capture of tourism spend in these categories.

clear reflection of Dubais ability to

capture a significant share of
destination time from multiple
categories of tourists indicative of the
breadth and depth of product offerings

The continued investment and innovation across these

propositions allows for sustained growth in consideration for
Dubai as a destination of choice for our priority markets.

and the diversity of activities in the city.

DURATION OF TRAVEL

% OF TRAVELLERS VISITING DUBAIS KEY ATTRACTIONS

HERITAGE &
CULTURAL
DISTRICTS

PALM
JUMEIRAH

25%

38%

BEACH & MARINE

42

DUBAI MALL

BURJ AL ARAB

WATERPARKS

BURJ KHALIFA

70%

DUBAI MALL
AQUARIUM

11

16

Family travel is reportedly the fastest growing tourism segment globally

according to Thomson Reuters, accounting for over 12.5% of the USD1.7 trillion

FAMILIES: A STRATEGIC PRIORITY

DUBAI FOUNTAIN

47%

global tourism market as of 2014, and is projected to beat the industry average
by continuing to grow at circa 5% year-on-year through 2020. A continued
strategic priority to Dubais Tourism Vision, in 2014 just under half of the tourists
were from this segment and the Emirate remains committed to long-term
investment in improving the proposition tailored for global family travellers.
Top source markets for families to Dubai have traditionally been from within the
GCC and the Indian subcontinent with KSA, Oman, and India being the leaders in
2014. With a higher average duration of stay (8.1 days) and 3.1 party size, this

SKI DUBAI

market segment is particularly important and requires to be catered for with a

more customised and continuously evolving offer to drive higher repeats. Dubais
current product has something for all ages and interests from the famous
DESERT
SAFARI

Dubai Fountain, to outdoor adventure sports, waterparks, and indoor theme

11

parks. That said, dynamically updating the value proposition is key to retaining
interest from this audience. The future product pipeline includes the Dubai
Safari Park, Legoland, and entertainment parks based on Marvel comic-book
heroes and Hollywood/Bollywood movies.

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

THE DUBAI VISITOR EXPERIENCE:

A CONTINUED PURSUIT FOR EXCELLENCE
1

PRE-ARRIVAL

adopted by Dubai Tourism, Emirates Airline has more than

220 flights to 146 destinations in 83 countries (as of
September 2014). With latest routes including Boston, Taipei,
Brussels, Budapest, Abuja, and Kano, the airline is
projecting an annual lift of 70 million passengers by 2020.
Incepted in 2008, Dubais second home airline, flydubai
serves 94 destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and
Europe across 45 countries. In 2014, they additionally
announced 23 new routes and a Business Class Service
adding to the proposition specifically for the business
travellers from new markets.

ENTRY PERMITS GETTING EASIER

Building on the strength of its bilateral relations with other
nations, the UAE continues to work on easing visa policies to
increase attractiveness and reduce costs of consideration for
the seven Emirates as destinations for global travellers.
Recent immigration changes allow for citizens of a further 13
EU Member States previously required to apply for a visa, to
now enter UAE with a visa-on-arrival - joining 33 other
nations - making it significantly more appealing for tourists
across these markets, substantiated by growth in
corresponding traffic volumes.

In addition to air access, Dubai is also cementing its roots as a

vital sea port and cruise visitor port of call. The ultra-modern
Dubai Cruise Terminal now hosts seafaring travellers from 21
leading cruise operators, including Princess Cruises, Van
Gogh Cruise Lines, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Some
425,000 passengers are expected to sail into Dubai in 2015, a
30% increase over 2014.

A new multiple entry tourism permit for cruise passengers has

been introduced and is expected to boost ship calls and drive
demand in the upcoming season. The new system will attract
more passengers from emerging markets with significantly
decreased visa costs, and simplified travel logistics for
passengers with multiple ports of call.
Further, authorities working in conjunction with Dubai
Airports and Dubai Tourism are especially focused on
monitoring performance and implementing key initiatives to
ensure that visitors immigration experience upon arrival
remains smooth, hassle-free, and welcoming.

ARRIVAL AND ACCESS

DUBAI IS THE WORLDS CONNECTOR
According to the World Economic Forum, Dubais greatest
competitive advantage in tourism is its ability to provide a
world-class international hub for global air travellers.
Building on this, Dubai International Airport (DXB) in 2014
surpassed Londons Heathrow Airport as the busiest in terms
of traffic handling and throughput despite an 80-day partial
runway closure for upgrades during the summer. The airport
ranked among the top in the world by Skytrax including a 4th
place ranking in shopping and retail experience, and an 8th
place ranking in overall terminal infrastructure. DXB
continues to work on improving its facilities, services, and
amenities to effectively cater for the millions of travellers that
pass through its gates, cognisant that this first port of call
experience is influential in converting every passenger to DXB
into a destination traveller for Dubai.
Connectivity is among the most critical factors influencing
destination choice for global travellers and the exceptional
direct access that Dubai offers through its home-grown
airlines remains integral to the continued growth of tourism
traffic. Supporting the very diversified source market strategy

NEW VISA-ON-ARRIVAL
COUNTRIES

OVERALL
SATISFACTION

85

Added in 2014

Country

Visitors Growth
vs 2013

1. Bulgaria

104%

2. Croatia

31%

3. Cyprus

27%

4. Czech Republic

28%

5. Estonia

35%

6. Hungary

86%

7. Latvia

37%

8. Lithuania

18%

9. Malta

13%

10. Poland

51%

11. Romania

64%

12. Slovakia

58%

13. Slovenia

56%

EXTREMELY OR
VERY SATISFIED

OTHER COUNTRIES WITH

VISA-ON-ARRIVAL
As of April 2015

1. Andorra
2. Australia
3. Austria

IN-CITY SERVICES

4. Belgium
5. Brunei

SAFETY HALLMARK
Ranked among the top 20 Lowest Risk Cities in the world by
Aon Hewitt (of Aon Plc) and the most secure destination in the
MEA region, Dubais safety record is exceptional, particularly
given the high incidence of violent crime in most
metropolitans around the world.
Dubai Police has a department solely dedicated to responding
to tourist safety and security needs. These efforts are not
going unnoticed as this aspect is amongst the highest ranked
in Dubais positive brand perception and a strong influencer of
travel choice.

6. Canada
7. Denmark
8. Finland
9. France
10. Germany
11. Greece
12. Hong Kong
13. Iceland
14. Ireland
15. Italy
16. Japan

CUSTOMER SERVICE

17. Liechtenstein

As Dubai strives to cement its reputation as a global

destination of choice and appeal to an even wider range of
holidaymakers, the Emirate is also investing in quality
customer service with the establishment of the Dubai College
of Tourism (DCT), expected to be operational by the end of
2015. Welcomed by the hotel industry, this educational facility
will provide certification for a variety of hospitality-based jobs
from event management to taxi driving etiquette and tour
guide/operator training. With the automated metro line
expanding to increase connectivity across the city and the
newly-launched Dubai Tram, internal transport and logistics
have become even more sophisticated all working together
to deliver the ultimate seamless Dubai Experience that
makes a lifetime advocate of every visitor to the city.

18. Luxembourg

THE DUBAI EXPERIENCE

19. Malaysia

Success of destinations in increasing their share of the global tourism market

20. Monaco

is contingent on two foundational factors firstly, the ability to raise

21. Netherlands

consideration in the minds of first-time visitors through a compelling

22. New Zealand

proposition; and secondly, ensuring that visitors become enthusiastic

23. Norway

advocates and loyal repeat travellers by delivering a superior end-to-end

24. Portugal

destination experience. In terms of the latter, Dubais efforts have yielded

25. San Marino

exceptional results with 85% of the visitors to the Emirate in 2014, being

26. Singapore

satisfied or extremely satisfied with their overall trip and set of experiences

27. South Korea

across various touchpoints (according to Dubai Tourisms visitor survey

28. Spain

results).

29. Sweden
30. Switzerland
31. United Kingdom
32. United States of America
33. Vatican City

10

NEW

ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

The section alongside focuses on accomplished results in 2014 and highlights

the measures being taken at various stages of the visitor journey, as part of
continuous improvement to raise the bar, and ensure that Dubai grows to
achieve the ultimate objective of becoming the number one most visited
tourism destination in the world.

11

GEARING UP FOR SUSTAINED GROW TH:

TOURISM AND REL ATED INDUSTRIES
1

AVIATION
Dubai International Airport (DXB) became the worlds
number one airport for international passengers with
annual passenger traffic of 70.5 million, up 6.1% from 2013.
Dubais Open Skies policy has remained key to the
continued growth in volumes with more than 140 airlines
now using the city as their hub to service markets across
continents. Home-based carriers Emirates Airline and
flydubai showed exceptional growth both in terms of fleet
size and global footprint expansion, diversifying their
respective reach to collectively provide direct connectivity
for a greater number of destinations with Dubai. Emirates
reported 6-month figures of 23.3 million passengers (based
on half-yearly results for April - September 2014), backed
by an investment in 13 new aircrafts adding 6% incremental
seat capacity into Dubai. All of these factors, combined with
DXBs investment in expansion and upgrades, support the
airports current projection of 126 million passenger traffic
by 2020, excluding planned expansion of its sister airport
Dubai World Central that will continue to support ancillary
airlines, charters, and cargo.

RETAIL
Dubai retained its position as the 2nd most important global
retail destination in 2014 according to Real Estate
consultancy, CBRE, supported by the strong tourism
performance and investments in logistics and retail
infrastructure. With the rising global awareness of Dubais
retail proposition, Shopping is likely to retain its position as
a key share of visitor wallet contribution to Dubais
economy. Capacity within the retail sector is already
growing to cater for resident and tourist demand reflecting
signs of an extremely lucrative 2014 Dubai Mall alone
attracted 80 million people with a reported annual turnover of AED16 billion. In addition to upgrades on existing
facilities, new destinations featuring diverse shopping
experiences with complementary offerings and distinctive
appeal to grow the overall product proposition are coming

12

7%

48.6

OUTDOOR ATTRACTIONS

AIRPORT TRAFFIC

With families and travellers seeking more unique experiential

outdoor propositions, there is an increasing demand for high
quality product offerings that caters to this need. A key factor in
increasing Dubais status as a world-leading family destination
will be the focus on expanding the proposition of mega-leisure
and entertainment destination developments. Already underway
and targeting opening in 2016, are three of the five Dubai Parks
and Resorts the Hollywood-themed Motiongate Dubai,
Bollywood Parks Dubai, and Legoland Dubai. Within Dubais
beach and marine offering is the newly-opened 14km Jumeirah
Corniche, which covers the scenic beach stretch from the Burj
Al Arab to Dubai Marine Beach Resort, providing visitors with
paved running tracks, sport & leisure facilities, numerous
eateries, and a traditional fishing harbour.

ACCOMMODATION
Dubais hotel and hospitality sector continued capacity
expansion on the back of a strong 7.4% increase in guest
nights and a corresponding 12% revenue increase across
accommodations. Overall 44.7 million guest room nights
delivered AED15.2 billion gross GDP impact purely from
room rents with the supply increasing by over 9% to stand
at a total of 92,333 rooms in 657 properties across the
Emirate as of December 2014. Growth in supply, particularly
in the upmarket accommodation pipeline, is expected to
remain strong to support continued rise in demand.
However, to support enhancement of our proposition to
families and business travellers, government incentives are
set to encourage greater inventory in the middle-tier, three
and four-star categories as well. Overall Dubais efforts will
remain focused on ensuring growth for the hotel sector
while remaining competitive as a destination.

AIRLINE
SEATS

70.5

PASSENGER
TRAFFIC

Dubais events sector that has historically been a key driver of

visitor traffic and GDP impact is expected to maintain
momentum with a comprehensive offering that ranges from
city-wide festivals and live events in sports, music, performing
arts and entertainment to mega-trade fairs, conferences, and
conventions for business tourists. Adding richness to an
exciting line-up of events, the Dubai Shopping Festival which
marked 20 years in 2014 - is complemented by several
recently-added city-wide events. These festivals include the
Dubai Food Festival, a three-week-long gastronomy
celebration, bringing the best culinary delights from around
the world and celebrating home-grown concepts and Emirati
cuisine, and the Dubai Motor Festival, an annual motoring
extravaganza showcasing, among other things, the largest
convoy of super, luxury and classic cars and bikes in the
region. Also, Dubai Art Season runs as a month-long arts
initiative that highlights the citys growing creative ecosystem
with outdoor art projects, interactive initiatives, workshops,
exhibitions, panel discussions, and performances. Separately,
the MENASAs largest venue operator and MICE events
organiser, the Dubai World Trade Centre announced a 10%
growth in traffic to business events contributing to 7% of the
overall tourism volumes to Dubai in 2014. Planned venue
expansions and investments in core event hosting spaces will
continue to fuel sector growth.
ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

92.3

ROOMS
AVAILABLE

2014
AIRPORT
TRAFFIC

IN 2014

6%

IN 2014

HOTELS CAPACITY

EVENTS

SEAT CAPACITY

up across the Emirate. Contrasting examples include The Beach

adjacent to Jumeirah Beach Residence and The Walk, providing
a beach-front semi-covered promenade retail and F&B
experience; and the Box Park district which showcases a
nouveau urban-industrial retail environment with 220 shipping
containers re-purposed as boutique designer outlets. With new
international brands from high-end fashion houses to massmarket affordable brands and discount stores all expanding
their existing presence or seeking to enter the Dubai market,
retail developers like Emaar Properties, Meraas, and the Majid
Al Futtaim Group remain bullish in their development outlook
adding sophisticated mall space with new innovative retail
experiences for tourists and residents.

9%

IN 2014

GDP MULTIPLIER EFFECT

As one of the key pillars of strategic economic diversification and core to both
the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021, tourism remains an anchor for
sustained GDP growth across related sectors within its value chain.
Complementary to the target of welcoming 20 million annual visitors by 2020,
Dubai Tourism seeks to grow the economic contribution and multiply the
impact of every incremental tourist to Dubai consequently driving more
return on every dirham invested in the tourism industry. To accomplish this
goal, the city has developed a synchronised approach to investment across a
wide range of interrelated industries that form part of the wider destination
proposition including hospitality, retail, attractions, aviation, entertainment,
and dining.

RETAIL TRAFFIC

80

FOOTFALL TO
DUBAI MALL

Key highlights from 2014 include:

1. Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranked #1 in the volume of

international traffic handled

IN 2014

2. Hotels sector alone delivered over AED15 billion GDP impact

3. Dubais retail proposition ranked #2 in the world for consumers and brands
4. 3 new mega-leisure theme park developments will be launched in Dubai
in 2016 alone
5. MICE traffic alone grew by over 10% with planned venue capacity
increase of between 15-18% by 2016

METHODOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS

KE Y TERMS

INTERNATIONAL OVERNIGHT VISITORS

LENGTH OF STAY

The visitor figures included in this report refer to the

Refers to the number of days spent in Dubai. Note that the 7.8

international overnight visitor travelling to Dubai and staying

days quoted in this report is different to the historical numbers

for at least one night. This includes all visitors travelling by air,

published by Dubai Tourism on hotel length of stay and cannot

sea, and land but excludes all UAE residents, air crew, and sea

be directly compared for two reasons: 1) group difference - one

crew. The visitor statistics are analysed by nationalities based

refers to hotel guests, the other to all visitors to Dubai; 2) unit

on a robust set of information including visitor arrivals from

difference - one refers to days stayed, the other to nights stayed.

the Dubai Immigration Authorities, hotel guests from hotel/

GUEST NIGHTS

hotel apartment establishments, and Dubai International

Visitors Survey (DIVS). Note: this number is different to

Number of hotel guests multiplied by number of nights stayed.

historical numbers published by Dubai Tourism which only

PURPOSE OF VISIT

referenced hotel establishment guests.

The primary reason for travel established by asking a closed

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL VISITORS SURVEY (DIVS)

Most visitor descriptives in this report come from DIVS which
is an ongoing survey that covers a sample of approximately
24,000 visitors a year. Face-to-face interviews are conducted
with visitors at DXB and other major public spaces in Dubai.
Respondents are qualified based on their status as an
international visitor and based on the amount of time they have
spent in Dubai. Qualified respondents must be past the

set of questions including the standard tourism categories of

leisure, business, and VFR (visiting friends and relatives).

STAYING WITH FRIENDS & RELATIVES (SFR)

A classification of accommodation type not to be confused with
VFR (visiting friends and relatives), a classification of purpose
of visit. Note in this report that the 2014 SFR proportion is 22%
while VFR is 17%. The difference is explained by the fact that
not everyone staying with friends and relatives is visiting them

midpoint of their trip to screen-in for the survey.

as the primary reason for the trip.

The sample is selected based on a monthly quota to ensure

SATISFACTION

adequate sample for descriptives on key dimensions. The data

All satisfaction scores were derived using a 10-point scale. The

collected are weighted by country of residence, month of visit,

top three-boxes, meaning a rating of eight, nine or ten, is

and catchment area based on actual visitor arrival statistics.

considered extremely or very satisfied.

This ensures that the profile of visitors surveyed resembles the

distribution of visitor arrivals in the total population.

IMAGE

VISITATION OF KEY ATTRACTIONS

Defined in most cases by ticketed/paid entry. The Dubai Mall
Aquarium, Burj Khalifa, Ski Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Desert Safari,
and Waterparks are all defined by paid entry into the attraction.
Beach & Marine, The Dubai Mall, The Dubai Fountain, Palm
Jumeirah, and Heritage Districts are not.

ABOUT DUBAI TOURISM

Dubais Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing

Dubai Tourism playsa pivotal role in Dubais rise to prominence

(Dubai Tourism) is the principal authority for the planning,

as one of the worlds leading tourism destinations, and is

supervision, development, and marketing of Dubais tourism

focused on achieving Dubais Tourism Vision for 2020 to

sector; for marketing and promoting the Emirates commerce

welcome 20 million visitors per year by 2020.

sector; and for the licensing and classification of all tourism

For more information on Dubai Tourism, please visit:

services, including hotels, tour operators, and travel agents.

www.visitdubai.com

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ANNUAL VISITOR REPORT 2014

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