Dubai set to join world’s top 3 travel hotspots in Q4 2025
Dubai is on track to rank among the world’s top three travel destinations in the fourth quarter of 2025, joining Tokyo and London, according to new data from ForwardKeys.
The travel analytics firm from Amadeus reports a 6% year-on-year increase in forward bookings for international arrivals to Dubai, positioning the city to capture 2.2% of all global tourist arrivals between October and December 2025.
India and the UK remain Dubai’s largest feeder markets, while China has surged back into the top 10 after a 34% jump in bookings compared to last year.
Germany also posted a 9% rise, reinforcing Europe’s solid contribution to inbound demand.
Leisure travellers continue to dominate arrival figures, with short stays of one to five nights remaining the most common at 46% of total reservations.
However, the pattern is evolving. Bookings for longer visits of 14 nights or more are projected to climb by 9% this quarter, reflecting shifts toward extended, experience-led travel.
“The sustained investments in infrastructure, hospitality and visitor experience are paying off,” said Michael Yeomans, Head of Travel Intelligence at Amadeus.
“We expect robust demand for Dubai this winter season.”
That confidence is mirrored in the city’s broader performance indicators. Dubai International Airport (DXB) recorded the busiest first half in its 65-year history, handling 46 million passengers, with annual throughput expected to grow by 3.7% to a record 98 million in 2025.
Meanwhile, Dubai’s hotel occupancy rose to 81% in the first half of 2025, marking a 4.5-point increase year-on-year, driven by a 6.1% rise in visitor numbers, momentum that is fuelling an expansion phase in the second half.
Cavendish Maxwell’s H1 2025 report indicates the UAE’s hotel development pipeline is accelerating, with Dubai set to add more than 5,000 new rooms across 19 properties by year-end.
Among the headline openings are Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai, expected to open in October, and the world’s tallest hotel, Ciel Dubai Marina, which is already taking bookings for its slated 15 November opening.
From January to July 2025, Dubai welcomed 11.17 million international visitors, marking a 5% rise from the same period last year.
The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts that the UAE will attract 27.6 million international visitors in 2025, up 4.6% year on year — further evidence that the nation’s tourism recovery has not only stabilised but is gaining momentum.
This article was originally published in Connecting Travel.
