The UAE tourism sector saw significant growth in 2024, aligning with the goals of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.

The country ranked first regionally and 18th globally in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI).

The UAE leads the world in travel and tourism data provision and air transport infrastructure, ranks second globally in infrastructure and services, and is third in data comprehensiveness, efficiency of air transport services, and travel and tourism policy and infrastructure, reports WAM.

A report by the World Travel and Tourism Council forecasted that the UAE's tourism sector's contribution to the national economy would increase to AED236 billion ($64 billion) in 2024, representing 12 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

Revenue from hotel establishments in the UAE increased to AED33.5 billion during the first nine months of 2024, reflecting a 4 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023.

The average hotel occupancy rate across the seven emirates rose to 77.8 per cent, one of the highest globally. Hotel nights reached approximately 75.5 million from January to September 2024, marking an 8 per cent increase year-on-year.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah airports recorded more than 103 million passengers by the end of September. The General Civil Aviation Authority expects the number of passengers at UAE airports to reach approximately 150 million by the end of this year.

The UAE launched the National Tourism Charter, one of the initiatives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. The charter aims to unify national efforts to enhance the sustainable growth of the country's tourism sector.

The charter reinforces the country's orientation towards increasing Emiratisation in the tourism sector by strengthening joint efforts with entities concerned with the charter to provide job opportunities for UAE nationals across various tourism activities and sectors.

This initiative aims to enhance UAE’s competitiveness at global and regional levels. The National Tourism Charter intends to make the UAE a prominent player in the global tourism landscape by encouraging collaboration among all the seven emirates.

The UAE has launched the 5th season of the World’s Coolest Winter Campaign, themed ‘Green Tourism’. In collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and the National Agricultural Centre, the campaign aims to promote community involvement in sustainable agriculture and increase tourism to farms and agricultural projects across the seven emirates.

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