• ​​​​VisaNet data: Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America account for Dubai’s top travelers.
  • VisaNet data: Repeat visitors to Dubai spend significantly more than first-time travelers - averaging $890 per trip compared to $540 - underscoring the city’s ability to drive long-term tourism value.

UAE, Dubai – Visa today announced an expansion of its global travel program, launching Dubai as one of the first flagship cities alongside Paris and London. The program is designed to give Visa cardholders access to exclusive benefits, premium offers, and unique opportunities—showcasing the very best of Dubai’s hospitality, culture, and lifestyle.

As a trusted partner for travelers and merchants worldwide, Visa is strengthening its commitment by addressing evolving travel needs and helping cardholders explore Dubai through exceptional stays, dining, and shopping.

The selection of Dubai as one of the program’s flagship cities reflects the Emirate’s position as a leading global destination. Dubai continues to rank among the top ten[1] cities worldwide for international arrivals, attracting visitors from more than 100 countries.

This momentum is also reflected in rising travel spend. According to VisaNet data, returning visitors to Dubai now spend 45% more per trip than first-time travelers. Entertainment related spend—such as recreation services, amusement parks, and tourist attractions—grew by 69% compared to 2024. Meanwhile dining saw a 20% increase in 2025 compared to the previous year. Retail categories show a comparable uplift, with apparel and fashion spend rising 25%. 

These trends are driven in part by strong visitor inflows from key markets, with Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States remaining Dubai’s top origin countries.

With the tourism sector's contribution to the UAE’s GDP rose to AED257.3 billion in 2024, Visa continues to develop programs that support this growth, while enhancing cardholder experiences and empowering merchant expansion.

Program highlights

  • Curated experiences across hospitality, dining, entertainment, and transport, accessible via a dedicated website.
  • Partnerships with leading merchants to deliver exclusive benefits for Visa cardholders.
  • Seamless digital booking and secure payment options for travelers.
  • Enhanced access for Visa Infinite and Visa Signature cardholders.

“Dubai is a city where every corner holds a new possibility, and every visit can be a story worth telling,” said Salima Gutieva, Vice President and UAE Country Manager for Visa. “One of the strongest signals we’re seeing is that visitors who return to Dubai are engaging more deeply with the city, seeking out experience‑led activities. This kind of loyalty reflects the strength of the destination; our new program helps amplify this by connecting Visa cardholders to passion led experiences while supporting the merchants driving Dubai’s tourism economy.”

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

[1] All data points in this release, unless otherwise specified and aside from the UAE GDP data point, is sourced from VisaNet