Today's Edition
RASHA TUBEILEH (ABU DHABI)
Economic data from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) revealed that total investments in the travel and tourism sector in the UAE during the past year amounted to approximately Dh28.8 billion, with a growth of 15.1% compared to 2022. Estimates indicate that this will rise to Dh32.4 billion during the current year, representing a growth of 12.5%.
The WTTC’s economic data forecast that total investments in the UAE’s travel and tourism sector will reach Dh50.9 billion by 2034, accounting for 8.3% of the total investments in the country, with an expected annual growth rate of 4.6%.
The data indicated that the UAE ranked 22nd globally in the volume of tourism investments last year, out of a list that includes more than 160 countries.
The volume of tourism investments in the UAE in 2018 amounted to about Dh28.3 billion, reaching Dh30.5 billion in 2019, then declining to Dh24.6 billion in 2020 due to the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, before rising again in 2021 to Dh25 billion and remaining constant in 2022. It increased significantly in 2023, reaching Dh28.8 billion.
Regarding international tourists’ spending on tourism in the UAE, the country ranked ninth globally last year. It is expected that the total spending of international tourists in the UAE will reach Dh191.8 billion this year, with a growth of 9.5% compared to Dh175.2 billion last year. Compared to 2019, this represents a growth of 22.8%, with spending expected to rise to Dh231.8 billion in 2034.
In terms of the number of tourists visiting the UAE, the data indicated that the country is expected to attract 63.6 million tourists by 2034. The UAE received 25.3 million international tourists staying in hotels last year, with a growth of 28.5%. It is expected to attract 29.2 million international tourists this year, a growth of 15.5%.
The UAE is formulating sustainable plans for the future, setting inspiring goals to achieve by 2031 through its National Tourism Strategy 2031. This strategy aims to attract 40 million hotel guests and increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the gross domestic product to Dh450 billion by 2031.
