Tourist spending in 2022 in the UAE increased by 70 per cent to reach Dh121 billion, which is the highest in the region.

“Global tourism has rebounded after three years of decline,” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, posted on Twitter. “The UAE’s tourism sector has also made a strong comeback.”

This came as Sheikh Mohammed visited the Arabian Travel Market 2023, which hosts 2,000 tourism entities from 150 countries around the world.

He reiterated the UAE’s target of reaching 40 million tourists within seven years, and increasing the tourism sector's contribution to the GDP to Dh450 billion. “We remain committed to developing all sectors of our national economy, with the goal of building the best and most active economy in the world,” he said.

He was referring to the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 that was launched last year. It aims to attract Dh100 billion as additional tourism investments.

“Tourism is key to diversifying our economy and boosting UAE’s global competitiveness,” Sheikh Mohammed had said at the time.

The strategy includes 25 initiatives and policies to support the development of the tourism sector in the country. It is expected to contribute to encouraging tourism investment in various related sectors, including travel, aviation and hospitality, as well as create new investment opportunities, attract more international companies to the local market, and develop tourism data and statistics.

 

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