Dubai Economy and Tourism’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific has reassured Australian travel advisors that Dubai remains open for business, with recovery plans, trade incentives and major events already in place as the destination works towards rebuilding visitor confidence following recent regional tensions.
Speaking during a media briefing with Australian travel media, Shahab Shayan (pictured below), outlined how the emirate has maintained business continuity throughout recent geopolitical challenges while preparing for the eventual easing of travel advisories.
The update comes as Australian travel advisors continue to navigate client concerns surrounding Middle East travel, despite Dubai itself remaining operational and largely unaffected by the conflict.
Mr Shayan highlighted that Dubai entered 2026 from a position of strength, having welcomed a record 19.6 million international overnight visitors in 2025, including 330,000 Australian travellers, representing an eight per cent increase year on year.
“People got sidetracked by the conflict and forgot that Dubai really ended 2025 in huge success and started 2026 in a big success as well,” Mr Shayan said.
According to DET, global visitation growth remained strong through the first two months of 2026, with January and February recording growth of eight and nine per cent respectively before the conflict impacted regional travel patterns.
Mr Shayan said Dubai’s immediate focus following the outbreak of hostilities was the safety of residents and visitors, with Emirates and flydubai rapidly implementing repatriation flights before attention shifted towards maintaining business continuity across the destination. Major events, retail operations, hotel developments and infrastructure projects have continued throughout the period.
One of the strongest indicators of recovery has been the return of airline capacity. According to Mr Shayan, Emirates has already restored approximately 75 per cent of its pre conflict seat capacity globally, while services across Australia have returned to around 96 per cent of previous levels.
DET confirmed that several recovery initiatives are ready to launch as travel advisories continue to ease, including joint promotions with Emirates through its Dubai Experience programme, broader stopover campaigns and phased B2B and B2C marketing campaigns.
Current Emirates stopover offers, including complimentary hotel nights for eligible premium cabin passengers, will also continue throughout the recovery period.
For travel advisors, Mr Shayan said the trade will play an essential role in rebuilding traveller confidence.
“I think for us it’s a crucial role, especially during these scenarios and these situations, because they become your hands and legs almost in each market,” he said.
DET has already hosted trade webinars and plans further sessions to equip advisors with destination updates and practical information to share with clients. The organisation remains confident that, once travel advisories are further relaxed, marketing campaigns and trade activity can quickly be activated.
“We’re more than prepared. We have a line of activities waiting and campaigns waiting to be rolled out. It’s just a matter of time,” Mr Shayan said.
