Foreign Travel Advisories Easing, Boosting Visitor Confidence, Says Dubai Official

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Foreign government travel advisories affecting Dubai have been gradually easing since March, a trend a senior tourism official has described as“a very positive sign”, even as some restrictions remain in a small number of markets.

Hoor Al Khaja, senior vice president of international operations at the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), the entity under Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market 2026 (ATM) that the overall direction has been one of easing rather than tightening.

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“There's very few that remain in certain markets, and the trend is that they keep easing rather than restricting,” she said.

The easing advisories come as Dubai posted close to seven million visitors in the first eight months of 2026, with August alone drawing around 870,000 tourists – a sharp year-on-year improvement compared with the same month in 2025.

Al Khaja described the figures as“extremely reassuring” despite ongoing regional uncertainty.

Many countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada have eased their travel advice to the UAE since mid-June 2026.

Strong presence

DCTCM had 115 stakeholders on its stand at this year's show and hosted more than 300 international buyers from the travel trade, representing 40 countries, over the course of the event, Al Khaja said.

She described ATM as the first major business and MICE event of the fourth quarter, with Dubai's calendar“very full” heading into the rest of the year.

Al Khaja said DCTCM is keeping its focus on Dubai's long-term D33 strategy and its 2033 vision to position the city among the world's best for tourism, living, working and investing.

She said the department anticipates closing the year on“a very positive and high note.”

Market mix unchanged

Al Khaja said Dubai's diversified approach to source markets – roughly 20 per cent from Western Europe alongside the GCC and Asia – has remained stable compared with 2025, with no dramatic shifts despite the year's circumstances.

Al Khaja also addressed the viral response to“Dubai Invite”, a first-of-its-kind initiative under which Dubai residents could invite friends and family to visit the city and receive Dh3,000 in benefits across hotels, restaurants and other services. The programme attracted around 90,000 applicants before applications were closed, with many guests already having visited and others still arriving before year-end.

She said the campaign, which leveraged Dubai's roughly 200-nationality resident population as“ambassadors” for the city, was distinct from earlier resident-focused campaigns run in 2025, and credited it with bringing thousands of additional visitors to Dubai.

Target markets

Looking ahead, Al Khaja said Dubai tourism will continue targeting markets across the GCC, South Asia, Western Europe, the CIS, Eastern Europe, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and North and South America, broadly mirroring the network served by Emirates and flydubai.

She said the department runs both global marketing campaigns and market-specific initiatives, and described its approach as“full throttle”.

Al Khaja said further market-specific campaigns are already live or planned across regions including India and the UK, though she noted Dubai Invite stood out because, unlike most market-targeted campaigns, it directly involved the local resident community.

She said similar community-focused initiatives could follow as part of DCTCM's ongoing market strategies.

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