Sector Detail

Tourism & Hospitality

Premium boutique hotels, eco-tourism lodges, and experiential leisure infrastructure.

The global picture

Travel has grown back, and travellers want something different.

International arrivals reached an estimated 1.52 billion in 2025, 4% more than the year before. Growth slowed to 0.4% in the first half of 2026 as conflict in the Middle East and rising costs weighed on travel.

Within that total, demand is moving toward distinctive, experience-led and lower-impact stays, and away from standardised rooms.

  • 1.52bnInternational tourist arrivals in 2025 (UN Tourism estimate)1
  • +0.4%Growth in the first half of 2026, with arrivals to the Middle East down 22%2
The UAE picture

A leading destination with long-term targets.

Tourism is a national priority. The UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 targets 40 million hotel guests a year and a contribution of AED 450 billion to the economy.

Dubai received a record 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025. Regional conflict reduced arrivals in the first half of 2026, and numbers have been recovering since.

  • 40mHotel guests a year targeted by 2031 (UAE Tourism Strategy 2031)3
  • 19.59mInternational overnight visitors to Dubai in 20254
The gap

The demand is for distinctive, well-run places to stay, and there are too few of them.

  1. 01

    Boutique and experiential supply

    Most new rooms are in large branded hotels. Smaller properties with character are scarce.

  2. 02

    Sustainable operation

    Guests and regulators expect lower energy and water use, which older properties were not built for.

  3. 03

    Long-term ownership

    Hospitality moves in cycles, as 2026 showed. It suits owners who hold through the cycle.

Our role

How Epiidosis works in Tourism & Hospitality

Epiidosis owns hospitality assets directly and stays involved in how they are run.

Sources

  1. UN Tourism, international arrivals in 2025 (Hospitality Net)
  2. UN Tourism, first half of 2026 (Hospitality Net)
  3. Dubai Media Office, UAE Tourism Strategy 2031
  4. Dubai Media Office, Dubai tourism results for 2025
  5. The National, Dubai tourism recovery, September 2026

Market figures are quoted from the organisations listed and were checked in November 2026. They are given for context only and are not investment advice or an offer.

Sector Engagement

Bilateral opportunities in Tourism & Hospitality.

Operators, developers, and landowners active in tourism & hospitality may submit a structured inquiry for evaluation against the firm's mandate criteria.

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