What is the difference in arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes between South Africa and United Arab Emirates?

392,500 trips, with United Arab Emirates ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Arab Emirates?

8 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2021.

Where does this data come from?

UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes

South Africa

8.64 million trips

in 2024

United Arab Emirates

9.04 million trips

in 2021

South Africa rank

27th

United Arab Emirates rank

24th

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes over time

South Africa
United Arab Emirates

How they compare

United Arab Emirates currently reports 9.04 million trips against 8.64 million trips in South Africa, a difference of 392,500 trips.

Across all 8 years both countries report, United Arab Emirates has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 27th and United Arab Emirates ranks 24th of 179 countries.

United Arab Emirates has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	South Africa	United Arab Emirates	Difference	Ahead
2010s	9.57 million trips	16.48 million trips	6.91 million trips	United Arab Emirates
2020s	2.38 million trips	7.37 million trips	5.00 million trips	United Arab Emirates

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes, South Africa or United Arab Emirates?: United Arab Emirates, at 9.04 million trips against 8.64 million trips in South Africa as of 2021.
What is the difference in arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes between South Africa and United Arab Emirates?: 392,500 trips, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United Arab Emirates?: 8 years are reported by both, from 2014 to 2021.
How do South Africa and United Arab Emirates rank globally for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?: South Africa ranks 27th and United Arab Emirates ranks 24th of 179 countries.
Where does this data come from?: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid, drawing on UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/international-trips-for-personal-reasons/south-africa/united-arab-emirates/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/international-trips-for-personal-reasons/south-africa/united-arab-emirates/">South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit: trips
Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.