'Phenomenal': why Australians are travelling to Dubai in record numbers
The Middle Eastern city is more than just a stopover.
Australians are travelling to Dubai in record numbers as the Middle East city becomes more than just a stopover destination.
Dubai Economy and Tourism (DET) data shows a record 296,000 Australians travelled to Dubai in 2024, six per cent higher than the previous year.
In January 2024, 14 per cent more Aussies travelled to the destination.
Dubai is a popular stopover for Aussies on their way to Europe and Dubai International Airport is one of the busiest international airports in the world, welcoming 92.3 million guests in 2024.
Atlantis Dubai vice president of marketing and PR, Hanan Eissa, told Explore Atlantis experienced a 20 per cent growth in Australians visiting its two hotels, Atlantis The Royal and Atlantis, The Palm, in 2024 compared to the previous year.
She called the growth "phenomenal".
"It's a market that we really want to nurture because what we love about Australians is they want to experience the resort, so they'll go to the restaurants, they'll do experiences in the water park, they really want to maximise their stay there so they're a great guest to have," Ms Eissa said.
Emirates airline has gone from offering four weekly flights between Sydney and Dubai via Singapore in 2000 to offering three daily, direct flights to Dubai from Sydney. Direct flights are also offered from Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Ms Eissa said Australians have gone from staying one or two nights at Atlantis to staying three or four nights. The hotel hopes to have this extend to five nights.
DET said the average stay for Australians in Dubai is now six days, up from 4.5 days in 2023, showing there is a "stronger destination engagement" for Aussies in the region.
Food, shopping and family
Dubai has traditionally been known as an exclusive destination filled with resorts and luxury shopping. Ms Eissa said these elements do make Dubai a "sexier destination" but it also has a lot to offer families.
"If you have small children, it's a great place to rest [on the way to Europe] and then do experiences. The water park is hugely popular with Australians, and the food scene is great," she said.
"When Australians travel to Dubai, they're a lot more open in terms of exploring global chefs, whether you go and try Nobu or you try Heston Blumenthal."
She said Dubai has the highest per capita number of restaurants in the world, with 13,500 restaurants to serve a relatively small population.
"The street scene is increasing, the cafe scene is growing, so the food scene is exploding. The number of restaurants that open every single month is crazy," she said.
Shopping is also popular, as well as adventure, including desert safaris and the aquarium. It's also English-speaking.
The other growing stopover destination
The Middle East city of Doha, the capital of Qatar, has become a popular stopover for Aussies this year with Virgin Australia launching its international flights to Europe through a partnership with Qatar Airways.
Hamad International Airport was named the World's Best Airport in 2024 at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The airport served almost 53 million passengers in 2024, offers 66 restaurants and a 600-square-metre indoor tropical garden called the Orchard featuring 300 trees and 25,000 plants.
My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me.
Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.
My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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