TORONTO — Dubai is busy, bustling and looking forward to word of an eased travel advisory from the Canadian market.

The Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism (DET), represented in Canada by Reach Global Marketing, says the city has come back strong from travel upheaval earlier this year, when the Iran war brought temporary airspace closures and air travel disruptions. 

DET representatives mixed and mingled with travel advisors, tour ops and trade media at an industry event yesterday in Toronto. The delegation is in Montreal today.

While the Canadian government’s advisory level for Dubai remains at Orange (avoid non-essential travel), the city does have lift from Canada, with 1x flight daily from Toronto and Montreal with Emirates. 

Air Canada meanwhile is still aiming to restart its DXB service at the end of March, as Partner, Sales & Tourism Partnerships for Air Canada, Viktor Spysak, confirmed to Travelweek yesterday. 

Dubai is a key destination for Air Canada, which recently extended its multi-year agreement with global alliance partner Emirates through the end of 2032.

Dubai International Airport is the world’s busiest airport for international passenger traffic, plus Dubai is also hard at work developing Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) into a major international gateway that will be more than double DXB’s size. Designed to handle up to 260 million passengers annually, DWC will see the first major phase of its huge new passenger terminal open in 2032. 

Not only that, there’s even an air taxi station just opened at DXB, with service slated to begin later this year. The first ‘vertiport’ is expected to handle up to 170,000 passengers annually, cutting travel times from 45 minutes in traffic, to 10-12 minutes in the air, between downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina.

DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH SINCE MARCH

Last year was a record-breaker for Dubai, with more than 19 million international visitors, says DET. This year was off to a good start too – until Feb. 28 and the start of the Iran war. 

More than 300 business leaders worked with the DET starting in early March to coordinate the city’s response to the crisis, to ensure business continuity and economic continuity. 

Their efforts paid off, not just in the immediate aftermath, but months down the road too. In August 2026, Dubai welcomed some 869,000 international overnight visitors, building on month-on-month, double-digit growth since March. The results represented its strongest monthly volume since February 2026, taking total international visitation to 6.97 million across the first eight months of the year.

Even in early March, DET made sure to stay visible at trade shows, like ITB Berlin March 3 – 5. The team hosted live webinars too, to keep the trade in the loop. And the Sept. 14 – 17 Arabian Travel Market brought close to 400 travel professionals from more than 40 countries to Dubai.

A new consumer campaign just launched, plus there’s a trade and B2B component as well. 

The DET’s message: Dubai is looking to the future just like it always has, and the city is ready for whatever comes next. 

NEW HOTELS FOR 2026 AND BEYOND

The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 featured three Dubai properties: Atlantis The Royal at #6, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab at #20 and The Lana Dubai at #35.

Meanwhile one of Dubai’s most iconic hotels, Burj Al Arab, just made headlines with its scheduled October 2027 reopening, after an 18-month restoration project.

Hotel occupancy across Dubai reached 66% in August, representing 89% of the city’s occupancy levels in August 2025, and continuing a steep climb from 36% occupancy in March 2026.

New on the city’s famous skyline, Ciel Dubai Marina, Vignette Collection, the world’s tallest all-hotel tower, officially opened in November 2025. Other recent openings include Mandarin Oriental Downtown.

Looking ahead, new properties on the way include: Six Senses The Palm, Dubai (set to become the first Six Senses hotel in the city); Baccarat Hotel and Residences Dubai will open in 2026, introducing the first Baccarat Hotel and Residences in the UAE; Kimpton Dubai, marking the brand’s debut in the UAE; Rixos Dubai Islands Hotel & Residences, currently scheduled for handover in Q4 2026; Gran Meliá Dubai Jumeirah, expected to open in 2027; InterContinental Dubai – The Heart of Europe is expected to open on The World Islands in winter 2027; and many more. 

One of the biggest headliners: The MGM Resorts development in Dubai, comprising MGM Grand, Bellagio and Aria hotels, is expected to open in 2028, bringing three major international hospitality brands to the beachfront destination.

Looking further ahead, Dubai’s hotel and branded-residence pipeline includes Six Senses Residences Dubai Marina in 2028. Openings currently expected in 2029 include Rosewood Dubai and Rosewood Residences Dubai, Cheval Blanc Maison on Naïa Island, The Dubai Beach EDITION, Akala and Jumeirah Asora Bay. Corinthia Dubai is expected in 2030.

Reach Global’s Marsha Mowers; Air Canada’s Viktor Spysak; DET’s Cibele Moulin; Reach Global’s Charmaine Singh

“IT’S OUR JOB TO CONTINUE SELLING DUBAI”

“People love Dubai. People want to go to Dubai. They want to plan their trips,” said Reach Global’s President and CEO, Charmaine Singh. “There are a lot of reasons why Canadians love Dubai — not only for its iconic attractions, culture and heritage, but also for outdoor adventure.” 

Dubai’s stopover program is doing particularly well, she added. And Singh is excited for Canadian travellers to experience Etihad Rail’s brand new offering: passenger service between Dubai and capital city Abu Dhabi, with a 64-minute travel time.

“There are a lot of reasons why Canadians love Dubai. Our numbers showed tremendous growth over the past few years, and we’re slowly coming back. It’s our job to continue selling Dubai under all of these different pillars that resonate with Canadians,” said Singh.

A beautiful henna application at the Dubai event for Kateryna Havrylova, Director of Destinations and Tourism Boards, Ensemble

More favourites on Singh’s must-see list for visitors to Dubai include the city’s Museum of the Future (reopening Q1 2027), new attractions including Dubai Creek Lights (also Q1 2027), and the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding. 

On her last trip to Dubai, Singh was going to give the centre a pass in favour of extending her shopping time. “But the Sheikh Mohammed Centre turned out to be one of my best experiences in Dubai. I can’t stop talking about the food, the experience and the engagement with Emiratis. And I still managed to fit in my shopping at the souq because it was so close. So this is a must-see and a must-do when you’re planning trips for your clients.”

Speaking of shopping, Dubai offers plenty of budget-friendly experiences, said Singh: “Some people who haven’t visited perceive Dubai as expensive, but Dubai can be a very affordable city.” 

More resources about free and affordable experiences in Dubai for every budget, along with other tools for the trade, can be found at VisitDubai.com.

Lead image caption: Riyaz Saduddeen, Sales Manager, Central & Western Canada, Emirates; Shaz Peshimam, Country Manager, Canada, Emirates; Cibele Moulin, Director, International Operations, Americas, Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism; Charmaine Singh, CEO, Reach Global Marketing; Michael Roque, Senior Sales Executive, Central & Western Canada, Emirates; Diego Gantiva Gomez, Senior Manager, Travel Trade, Reach Global Marketing