If you thought Abu Dhabi was already living its best life, buckle up—because the emirate is just getting warmed up. After a record-smashing 2024, Abu Dhabi is hitting the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 stage with serious main character energy, showing the world exactly why it’s the destination to watch (and visit… and never want to leave).
Kicking Off 2025 with a Bang
First quarter check-in: Abu Dhabi welcomed a whopping 1.4 million overnight guests. That’s right—1.4 million people who clearly know how to pick their vacation spots! And with hotel revenues flexing at AED 2.3 billion (an 18% glow-up from last year), it’s safe to say the party’s just getting started.
Also, RevPAR (fancy hotel talk for “how much money we make per room”) hit AED 484, a 25% rise that’s basically the financial version of a standing ovation. Oh, and hotel occupancy? Holding strong at 79%, even through Ramadan, proving that Abu Dhabi is everyone’s favorite all-year playground.
Big Dreams, Bigger Goals
With all this momentum, Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector is confidently eyeing a AED 62 billion contribution to the economy this year—up 13% from 2024. Plus, it’s cooking up 255,000 jobs, because why stop at just being awesome when you can also be a job-creating powerhouse?
As H.E. Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani puts it (and we totally agree), Abu Dhabi’s success isn’t just luck—it’s data-driven marketing magic, culture-first vibes, and a visitor experience glow-up that’s making travelers swoon.
2024 Was the Dress Rehearsal
Not to flex too hard, but 2024 was already a year of major wins. Abu Dhabi saw a 7% jump in hotel and accommodation guests, international visitors surged 28%, and hotels raked in AED 7.6 billion in revenue. Basically, Abu Dhabi showed up, showed off, and then raised the bar even higher.
And it wasn’t just about bigger numbers—it was about bigger reach. DCT Abu Dhabi doubled its global hustle, expanding marketing efforts from 11 markets in 2023 to 25 countries in 2024. From the CIS to APAC to Eastern Europe—everyone’s getting a taste of that Abu Dhabi magic.
Culture: Not Just a Buzzword Here
You know those places that say they have culture and then offer you a souvenir magnet? Yeah, Abu Dhabi is not one of them. Here, culture comes alive—with world-class museums, art that could move you to tears (or at least a very intense Instagram post), and a deep dive into Emirati heritage.
At ATM 2025, DCT Abu Dhabi is taking center stage to show off new gems like teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi—an insanely cool, mind-bending art space now open at Saadiyat Cultural District. And get ready, because Zayed National Museum, Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi are all lining up for their grand entrances. Future history books, take notes.
What’s Happening at the Experience Abu Dhabi Stand?
Forget boring brochures—at ATM 2025, Experience Abu Dhabi is serving up the good stuff. Think immersive activations, cultural storytelling, and partnerships galore with big names like Etihad, Miral, and Yas Island. The focus? Saadiyat Cultural District (your next favorite cultural binge spot), Al Ain Region (for the peace-seekers), and Al Dhafra Region (for the wild adventurers).
And all of this ties back to the ultimate glow-up goal: the Tourism Strategy 2030—attracting 39.3 million visitors annually, creating 178,000 new tourism jobs, and stacking up AED 90 billion to Abu Dhabi’s GDP by the end of the decade. Big dreams? Absolutely. Achievable? At this rate, we’re betting on it.
