Dubai's Aquaventure Waterpark, part of the Atlantis The Palm resort on Palm Jumeirah, has been ranked the world's second-most visited water park, drawing close to two million guests in 2025, according to the Themed Entertainment Association's latest Global Experience Index.
Only Chimelong Water Park in China topped the list, hosting roughly 2.56 million visitors over the same period. Aquaventure's attendance marked an 11.1 per cent jump compared with the 2023-2024 period, pushing it ahead of major US rivals including Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (1.76 million) and Universal's Volcano Bay (1.6 million).
Much of Aquaventure's audience comes from guests staying at the Atlantis resorts, where a stay-and-play package bundling hotel nights with water park access has become one of the most popular draws for families visiting Dubai. The TEA index, published annually, tracks attendance trends across the world's leading theme parks and water parks, and this year's edition keeps Dubai among the very top destinations globally, ahead of several long-established American and Asian venues.
The report does flag one note of caution: it says the full impact of regional tensions that began in February 2026 on Gulf tourism numbers is not yet fully clear, though Aquaventure's 2025 figures do not appear to have been significantly affected.
The ranking reinforces Dubai's position as a leading warm-weather, family tourism hub, with water parks increasingly central to the emirate's push to diversify its visitor attractions beyond shopping and desert tourism.