"We're Coming Back" to Dubai: Turkish Tourism to Discuss Dubai's New Era

As non-oil trade between Türkiye and the UAE reaches USD 45.2 billion, Türkiye’s leading tourism professionals are to meet in Dubai.

In cooperation with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), BTB Tours will bring Türkiye’s leading tourism professionals together in Dubai from 1 to 4 October 2026. At the event, which will address Dubai’s new era in tourism, the opportunities it offers the Turkish market and the future of tourism traffic between the two countries, industry representatives will also come together to explore new partnerships.

As economic relations between Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates continue to grow, tourism remains one of the standout areas of the relationship. Non-oil trade between Türkiye and the UAE reached USD 45.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 15.5 per cent on the previous year, making Türkiye the UAE’s fifth-largest non-oil trading partner.

Dubai sets a new tourism record
Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international visitors in 2025, growth of 5 per cent on 2024 and a third consecutive annual visitor record. In December 2025 the city welcomed more than 2 million international visitors in a single month for the first time in its history.

Hotel occupancy in Dubai rose to 80.7 per cent, while hotel room nights increased 4 per cent to 44.85 million. Dubai International Airport (DXB) also ended 2025 with a record, handling 95.2 million passengers over the year.

Passenger traffic linked to Türkiye rose 6.7 per cent to 2.2 million, demonstrating continued movement between the two markets. At the end of 2025 DXB connected to 291 destinations in 110 countries via 108 international airlines.

This picture makes Dubai more than simply a holiday destination for Türkiye’s tourism sector. With strong air connections, accommodation infrastructure, event capacity and an increasingly diverse range of tourism products, Dubai also offers significant opportunities in segments such as business tourism, congresses and events, gastronomy, luxury tourism and entertainment.

“Dubai is on the move again”
Salih Gözcü, Chairman of the Board of BTB Tours, said the activity in Dubai points to a new period that Türkiye’s tourism sector should follow closely.

Gözcü said: “We can see that Dubai is on the move again. What matters for us is to assess that movement not simply through the figures but through where the destination is heading in the period ahead. By bringing Türkiye’s tourism professionals together in Dubai, we want to discuss these developments on the ground.”

Noting that Dubai continues to be a strong destination for the Turkish market, Gözcü said ease of travel and strong air connections, along with accommodation options addressing different segments and the variety of tourism products, were among the destination’s advantages.

Gözcü said: “Dubai is no longer a place chosen only for sea, sun and shopping; it has a continually developing structure in areas such as gastronomy, entertainment, culture, luxury tourism, and congress and event tourism.”

New opportunities for the Turkish market
Dubai’s growth in tourism is not confined to leisure travel. The city also continues to strengthen its position in business and event tourism.

Dubai Business Events received 504 successful bids in 2025 for congresses, meetings and incentive programmes to be held up to 2029 – an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year.

At the City Briefing held by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism at Dubai Opera on 3 June 2026, more than 1,700 representatives from the tourism, aviation, hospitality, retail and events sectors came together. The meeting assessed the sector’s expectations for the second half of 2026 and Dubai’s long-term tourism vision.

Drawing attention to the scope for developing the tourism relationship between Türkiye and Dubai in different areas in the period ahead, Salih Gözcü said: “Interest from Türkiye in Dubai is already strong. What matters from here on is being able to turn that traffic into more cooperation and into different tourism products. For agencies and tourism professionals in Türkiye it is important to see the opportunities Dubai offers at first hand. The fundamental aim of our event is to make that meeting possible.”

“We are coming back”
BTB Tours’ relationship with Dubai goes back to the company’s founding. Established in Dubai in 2016, the company has grown in different markets over the past 10 years to become an international tourism business operating in 30 countries.

For BTB Tours, which runs operations from Türkiye to destinations including Egypt, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Morocco, Dubai holds a special place as the city where the company’s story began.

Salih Gözcü assessed the significance of the return to Dubai for the company as follows:

“Dubai is not just a destination for us. The company’s founding story began here. Today we have operations in different countries, but Dubai holds a different place for us. Coming together with industry professionals here again after 10 years means, for us, looking ahead to the coming period rather than returning to the past. So our message is clear: we are coming back to Dubai.”

The Turkish and Dubai tourism sectors will meet in Dubai
Different stakeholders from the Turkish and Dubai tourism sectors will come together at the event, to be held from 1 to 4 October 2026.

Alongside a special meeting with the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, industry discussions, destination experiences and various contacts will be among the highlights of the programme. As part of a programme designed to give participants a close look at Dubai’s tourism infrastructure and its vision for the new era, optional safari and Downtown Dubai tours will also be arranged.

A gala evening marking BTB Tours’ 10th anniversary will also be among the event’s important activities.

The aim of the event is to develop the existing tourism traffic between Türkiye and Dubai through new partnerships, and to allow Türkiye’s tourism sector to assess at first hand the opportunities emerging in Dubai’s new era.