UAE Leisure Travel Market Size, Share, Trends and Forecast by Traveler Type, Age Group, Expenditure Type, Sales Channel, and Region, 2025-2033

Report Format: PDF+Excel | Report ID: SR112025A42122

UAE Leisure Travel Market Overview:

The UAE leisure travel market size reached USD 4,493.01 Million in 2024. Looking forward, the market is projected to reach USD 8,074.50 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 6.73% during 2025-2033. The market is shaped by the UAE’s unmatched luxury experiences, from shopping festivals and premium resorts to architectural landmarks and private leisure services. Cultural tourism adds further depth, with museums, heritage districts, and traditional festivals enriching the visitor profile. World-class connectivity through major airports and airlines, alongside large-scale international events, ensures consistent global visibility, further augmenting the UAE leisure travel market share.

Report Attribute	Key Statistics
Base Year	2024
Forecast Years	2025-2033
Historical Years	2019-2024
Market Size in 2024	USD 4,493.01 Million
Market Forecast in 2033	USD 8,074.50 Million
Market Growth Rate 2025-2033	6.73%

UAE Leisure Travel Market Trends:

Luxury Tourism and Retail Experiences

The UAE has become synonymous with luxury-oriented leisure travel, offering visitors a combination of ultra-modern infrastructure, world-class retail hubs, and exclusive entertainment experiences. Dubai and Abu Dhabi dominate this segment with high-end resorts, Michelin-starred dining, and globally recognized shopping festivals. Iconic destinations such as The Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, and Yas Island provide travelers with premium attractions that blend architectural marvels with leisure facilities. The retail sector, anchored by The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates, attracts millions of visitors annually with tax-free shopping and global luxury brands. Exclusive desert safaris, private yacht charters, and luxury spa retreats reinforce the UAE’s position as a hub for experiential and indulgent travel. This strong emphasis on personalized, high-value experiences ensures a steady influx of affluent tourists from Europe, Asia, and North America, cementing UAE leisure travel market growth. For instance, Dubai welcomed 18.72 million international visitors in 2024, a 9% year-on-year increase and the city's highest on record. In the first four months of 2025, Dubai attracted 7.15 million visitors (up 7% YoY).

Cultural Tourism and Heritage Preservation

While renowned for modern attractions, the UAE has increasingly invested in promoting its cultural heritage to diversify its leisure tourism offerings. In 2024, leisure was the primary purpose for 77% of Dubai visitors according to the official Dubai International Visitor Survey. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Hosn, and Al Fahidi Historical District highlight the nation’s dedication to showcasing art, history, and Emirati traditions. UNESCO-listed Al Ain Oasis and Sharjah’s cultural institutions further attract visitors seeking authentic experiences. The government actively promotes heritage-based festivals, including the Al Dhafra Festival and Sharjah Light Festival, which highlight Emirati traditions and craftsmanship. Cultural tourism is supported by strong infrastructure, including museums, restored forts, and performance venues that enrich visitor engagement. This balance between modern luxury and heritage tourism has expanded the UAE’s leisure portfolio, ensuring that it appeals to both luxury seekers and culturally inclined travelers.

UAE Leisure Travel Market Segmentation:

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on traveler type, age group, expenditure type, and sales channel.

Traveler Type Insights:

Solo
Group

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the traveler type. This includes solo and group.

Age Group Insights:

Baby Boomers
Generation X
Millennial
Generation Z

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the age group. This includes baby boomers, generation X, millennial, and generation Z.

Expenditure Type Insights:

Lodging
Transportation
Food and Beverages
Events and Entertainment
Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the expenditure type. This includes lodging, transportation, food and beverages, events and entertainment, and others.

Sales Channel Insights:

Conventional Channel
Online Channel

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the sales channel. This includes conventional channel and online channel.

Regional Insights:

Dubai
Abu Dhabi
Sharjah
Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all major regional markets. This includes Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Others.

Competitive Landscape:

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided.

UAE Leisure Travel Market News:

In May 2024, dnata Travel Group, a part of Emirates Group, announced an enhanced partnership with Minor Hotels to drive global growth and enhance the travel experience. This collaboration will provide exclusive offers for both leisure and corporate travelers, with dynamic rates across Minor Hotels' 540+ properties and the addition of over 200 hotels by 2026. The partnership will also integrate dnata's destination management businesses, offering greater flexibility and new travel packages for customers in the UAE and beyond.

UAE Leisure Travel Market Report Coverage:

Report Features	Details
Base Year of the Analysis	2024
Historical Period	2019-2024
Forecast Period	2025-2033
Units	Million USD
Scope of the Report	Exploration of Historical Trends and Market Outlook, Industry Catalysts and Challenges, Segment-Wise Historical and Future Market Assessment: Traveler Type Age Group Expenditure Type Sales Channel Region
Traveler Types Covered	Solo, Group
Age Groups Covered	Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennial, Generation Z
Expenditure Types Covered	Lodging, Transportation, Food and Beverages, Events and Entertainment, Others
Sales Channels Covered	Conventional Channel, Online Channel
Regions Covered	Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Others
Customization Scope	10% Free Customization
Post-Sale Analyst Support	10-12 Weeks
Delivery Format	PDF and Excel through Email (We can also provide the editable version of the report in PPT/Word format on special request)

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the UAE leisure travel market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?
What is the breakup of the UAE leisure travel market on the basis of traveler type?
What is the breakup of the UAE leisure travel market on the basis of age group?
What is the breakup of the UAE leisure travel market on the basis of expenditure type?
What is the breakup of the UAE leisure travel market on the basis of sales channel?
What is the breakup of the UAE leisure travel market on the basis of region?
What are the various stages in the value chain of the UAE leisure travel market?
What are the key driving factors and challenges in the UAE leisure travel market?
What is the structure of the UAE leisure travel market and who are the key players?
What is the degree of competition in the UAE leisure travel market?

Key Benefits for Stakeholders:

IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the UAE leisure travel market from 2019-2033.
The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the UAE leisure travel market.
Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the UAE leisure travel industry and its attractiveness.
Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.

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UAE Leisure Travel Market