Dubai continues to rank as the 7th most sought-after destination for British travelers in 2025, surpassing renowned tourist spots like Mauritius, Phuket, Miami, Bangkok, Rome, Australia, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Caribbean cities, and more, as per a survey by British Airways. The survey examined holiday package searches on the airline's UK website, comparing data from January 1 to July 24, 2024 for 2025 travel dates against searches from January 1 to July 28, 2023 for 2024 travel dates. New York, Orlando, Las Vegas, Maldives, Barbados, and Cancun lead the list of top destinations for British holidaymakers.
Dubai has established itself as a destination that attracts tourists throughout the year. While winter typically sees the highest influx, summer also draws many visitors for shopping and indoor entertainment. Claire Bentley, Managing Director of British Airways Holidays, expressed enthusiasm about the growing holiday demand and the diverse range of top 25 destinations for 2025.
The connectivity between Dubai and London airports is robust, with both being among the busiest routes. Besides Emirates and British Airways, several other airlines offer direct flights between the two countries. Dubai International Airport (DXB) ranks highly in passenger traffic from London and the UK, being among the top 3 sources of traffic for DXB. According to Dubai Airport's data, the UK follows India and Saudi Arabia as the top destination country with 2.9 million passengers, and London ranks third among city destinations with 1.8 million guests.
DXB is ranked the 6th most connected airport globally, while Heathrow ranks 12th, according to aviation consultancy firm Cirium. Dubai also appeals to Western Europeans, with 1.89 million visitors in the first half of 2024. British Airways offers return flights from London Heathrow to Dubai starting at £439 (Dh2,110) and to Abu Dhabi from £390 (Dh1,880), with Etihad Airways also operating direct flights to London.
