The 33rd Arabian Travel Market (ATM) was held at Dubai World Trade Centre from September 14-17, 2026, attracting more than 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries and recording a 16% year-on-year increase in attendance.
Emirates operated at around 93% of its pre-disruption capacity in July and August 2026, carrying over 8.6 million passengers during those months. Flydubai operated at about 85% of its network capacity and expects to return to full capacity by the end of 2026. Etihad Airways reported available seat kilometres 15%-17% above 2025 levels and achieved a 92% load factor in August 2026.
Dubai Tourism and Airport Traffic Trends
Dubai welcomed approximately 869,000
international overnight visitors in August 2026, the highest monthly total since February. The city recorded 6.97 million international visitors from January to August 2026. Hotel occupancy recovered to 66% in August from 36% in March 2026. Dubai’s hotel room inventory stands at about 149,000 rooms, with hotels recording 21.61 million occupied room nights from January to August.
Dubai International Airport handled 31.5 million passengers in the first half of 2026. Monthly passenger numbers rose from 3.5 million in April to 5 million in June 2026. Dubai Airports forecasted around 70 million passengers for 2026, revising the estimate down due to
ongoing disruption impacts.
Regional Conflict and Scheduling Challenges
ATM 2026 was postponed from May 4-7 to September 14-17 due to regional instability and ensuring participant safety. Airlines are rebuilding capacity amid travel advisories affecting Gulf airspace and conflict-related risks. Passenger booking behavior has shifted toward last-minute decisions because of schedule uncertainty and travel risks.
Technology Focus at Arabian Travel Market 2026
ATM Travel Tech featured more than 180 exhibitors from 30 countries and included an 850-square-metre Tech & Innovation Hub. The hub showcased technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, fintech, and green technology. AI-driven distribution, automation, payments, and personalisation are increasingly operational tools across the tourism sector.
Official Airline Capacity Recovery Projections
Flydubai
CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith stated the airline is progressing toward full network capacity by the end of 2026. Emirates highlighted strengthening demand from India, South Africa, Brazil, and Egypt while operating at 93% of pre-disruption capacity. Etihad Airways showed improved performance with load factors at 92% in August and available seat kilometres 15%-17% higher than the previous year.
