Abu Dhabi’s cultural tourism surges 47% in H1 2025, drawing over 4M visitors, signaling sector growth

UAE – Abu Dhabi has witnessed a remarkable 47% rise in visitors to its cultural and heritage sites during the first half of 2025, with more than 4 million tourists attracted, according to the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

This outstanding growth highlights the effective implementation of the Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to position Abu Dhabi as a global cultural and creative destination.

Flagship venues performed strongly: Louvre Abu Dhabi welcomed 784,606 visitors, the Cultural Foundation experienced a 49% increase with 620,709 visitors, and Qasr Al Hosn drew 467,398 visitors, up 14%.

Manarat Al Saadiyat’s visitors surged by 139% to 207,684, while House of Artisans recorded 234,142 visitors, showcasing renewed interest in traditional Emirati crafts.

Undersecretary Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani attributed the success to targeted investments in cultural infrastructure, diversified offerings, and global market outreach.

Newly opened attractions, such as teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and Al Maqtaa Museum, contributed an additional 176,886 visitors, further enhancing the emirate’s cultural landscape.

The tourism upswing translated into strong hotel sector performance, with 2.9 million guests recorded in H1 2025, a 2% increase.

Hotel revenues jumped 20%, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased 24% to AED 446 (around US$121.60), accompanied by steady 80% occupancy rates.

International visitors extended their stays, with average length of stay increasing to 3.2 nights.

Key source markets India and the UK saw visitor growth of 29% and 17%, respectively, driven by focused promotional campaigns.

During Eid al-Adha, hotels maintained 80% occupancy, with RevPAR rising by 21%, underscoring the emirate’s robust festive season appeal.

Growth was not limited to Abu Dhabi city; Al Ain and Al Dhafra regions also saw significant increases in visitors and hotel revenues.

These strong half-year results mark a major stride towards achieving Tourism Strategy 2030 targets, including attracting nearly 40 million annual visitors, creating 178,000 new tourism jobs, expanding hotel rooms to 50,000, and contributing AED 90 billion (US$24.5 billion) to GDP by 2030.

Abu Dhabi’s most iconic cultural tourism attractions include the breathtaking Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, celebrated for its majestic architecture and spiritual depth.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi offers a world-class artistic journey showcasing human creativity across civilizations under a stunning silvered dome.

Qasr Al Hosn, the city’s oldest building, provides insight into Abu Dhabi’s heritage as a former governmental and ruling family center.

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