Dubai welcomed more than 10 million visitors for the first time in 2012 as visitor numbers climbed 9.3% on the previous year.
Director general of Dubai's department of tourism and commerce marketing, H.E. Helal Almarri, attributed the growth to the city's "coordinated" destination marketing strategy and its "world-class" infrastructure along with its location and ongoing product enhancements.
The destination saw a number of hotel openings over the course of the year, taking its tally of properties from 575 to 599.
Newcomers included Jumeirah Creekside, Fairmont the Palm and the JW Marriott Marquis and a number of new apartment properties. The average room rate climbed to AED588, up from AED563 in 2011.
"The growth across each indicator is a welcome confirmation of Dubai‘s ever-increasing appeal and a testament to the aggressive marketing and promotional agenda of DTCM in positioning Dubai as the major tourist hub in the region and a global destination of choice," Almarri said.
The city is no longer being seen solely as a stopover destination, he added, with average length of stay and a growing number of apartment hotels proof of a trend towards longer visits.
Although Australia did not make it into the top 10 source markets, Australian arrivals to Dubai rose 8% to 193,575 for the year.
