Dubai is turning to its own residents to help revive its struggling tourism sector, launching a major promotional campaign that rewards locals for bringing their international friends and family to the city. The new initiative, known as “A Dubai Invite,” is being driven by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Through this programme, residents who host visiting loved ones between late July and the end of October can unlock a package of perks, discounts, and experiences valued at over 3,000 dirhams, or roughly 816 dollars.
To take advantage of the offer, residents simply need to nominate the guests they plan to host through the official government portal. Once registered, both hosts and visitors gain access to a wide array of incentives, including complimentary hotel stays, discounted dining, and free or reduced-rate tickets to major city attractions. Summer has historically been a slow period for tourism across the United Arab Emirates, where extreme temperatures regularly climb toward 50 degrees Celsius. However, officials are relying on the city’s vast expatriate and local population to serve as personal ambassadors and generate much-needed foot traffic during these leaner months.
The push comes as the commercial hub works to bounce back from months of regional turmoil that severely disrupted its hospitality industry. While the emirate previously welcomed nearly 20 million international travelers annually as a premier global destination, recent conflict in the wider region dealt a heavy blow to the Gulf’s long-standing reputation as a quiet haven of stability. Tourism figures took a sharp hit following direct military escalations earlier in the year, which forced many foreign travelers to cut their vacations short during what is normally the peak winter season.
While a fragile ceasefire established in April allowed a small stream of international visitors to return, hotel operators across the city have predominantly relied on domestic staycations to keep their doors open. The new visitor incentive is part of a much broader, multi-phase recovery effort spearheaded by local authorities. Over the past several months, the government has rolled out massive financial relief packages totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to support businesses impacted by regional trade disruptions and declining visitor numbers. These relief measures have provided direct aid to the hospitality and aviation sectors through municipal fee waivers for hotels and restaurants, reduced customs penalties, and lower permit costs, all designed to keep the local economy resilient as it builds back its international traveler base.
