Dubai tourism, businesses expect bookings boost as UK eases UAE travel warning

Dubai: The UK’s decision to ease its travel advice for the UAE is expected to give a boost to tourism bookings, business visits and investor confidence, several industry representatives, including travel agents and business leaders, told Gulf News.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its guidance on Wednesday, removing its warning against all but essential travel to the UAE while continuing to advise travellers to remain alert due to the wider regional security situation.

The change comes after regional tensions had affected travel plans, with some airlines suspending flights to Gulf destinations and thousands of travellers facing disruption.

Industry experts said the revised guidance could encourage postponed holidays, business trips and events to move forward, particularly as the UAE enters key travel periods.

Katy Keenan, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, said the update was an important step for confidence among businesses and travellers. “The change to travel advice is a significant step in re-establishing investor confidence for the region, encouraging business travellers and tourists,” she said.

“We know from our member companies that the travel restrictions have definitely impacted talent acquisition and limited visits from UK-based business representatives essential for key projects across all sectors.”

Keenan added that the chamber expected a positive impact on hospitality and investment activity.

“We hope to see an immediate and positive impact for the hospitality sector and an increase in momentum for investment and growth initiatives originating from the UK,” she said.

She also said business interest had remained strong despite the uncertainty. “We have not seen a slow down in membership enquiries and are in fact 25 per cent above expected, which shows how important community and knowledge exchange are in times of crisis for business,” she added.

Dubai tourism expects UK bookings to rise

Rahul Varma, a travel and tourism consultant and former executive at Dubai World Trade Centre, Jumeirah and Emaar, said UK bookings were already showing signs of recovery. “Talking to people within the industry, it’s clear that the number of bookings from the UK is already growing,” he said.

“With summer season approaching, I expect that we will soon be welcoming many more British tourists back to the UAE.”

Varma said government travel advice played an important role in traveller decisions.

“Any government advice that is positive will help give travellers confidence in terms of coming back to Dubai,” he said. He added that Dubai remained a major destination for British travellers due to its climate, culture and value offered by the tourism sector.

“Over one million Britons visited Dubai alone in the first nine months of 2025, and combined with the aggressive pricing offered by the tourism sector as well as the provision of travel cover by Emirates and Etihad, I expect we will see strong growth for the second half of 2026,” he said.

Travel agents expect stronger demand

Munas Moony, Managing Director of Tourmate Tours LLC, said the UK had historically been one of the UAE’s most important tourism markets.

“The UK has traditionally been one of the UAE's most important source markets, contributing significantly to visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy, retail spending, and the broader tourism economy,” he said.

Moony said easing travel advice could help rebuild confidence among travellers and companies involved in the tourism ecosystem.

“When travel advisories are relaxed, it not only encourages the UK travellers to resume holiday and business travel plans but also restores confidence among travel agents, tour operators, airlines, and travel insurance providers,” he said.

He added that improved confidence could support demand across leisure, business events, luxury travel and family holidays.

“From a business perspective, we expect to see renewed demand from the UK market across leisure, MICE, luxury travel, and family holiday segments,” he said.

Business travel expected to benefit

Zaheer EN, Chief Executive Officer of Air Travel Enterprises and Tourism, said the advisory change could also support business travel and events.

“The UK government's decision to ease its travel advisory for the UAE is genuinely good news for our industry,” he said.

He said official travel guidance influenced the decisions of families, first-time visitors and business travellers.

“Clearer, more positive guidance genuinely shapes the choices that families, first-time visitors, and business travellers make — many of whom check official advice before they book,” he said.

Zaheer said the impact could extend beyond holidays.

“Business travel should gain just as much, with the UAE continuing to act as a global hub for trade, investment, and major events,” he said.

“When the guidance is reassuring, companies feel more comfortable planning their meetings, exhibitions, and conferences here.”

The updated FCDO advice no longer advises against all but essential travel to the UAE but continues to ask British nationals to monitor developments, follow local authority guidance and keep travel plans under review.

The guidance also advises travellers to stay informed through official updates, avoid areas around security or military facilities and ensure travel documents remain valid.