UAE Tourism Sector Prepares for Exceptional Growth and Record-Breaking Achievements in 2024

The tourism sector in the United Arab Emirates is preparing for a new phase of growth, prosperity, and recovery in the new year of 2024.

It has successfully achieved significant milestones and exceptional accomplishments during the previous year, further enhancing the country’s position on the global tourism map.

During the past year, the UAE has maintained its regional and global leadership as a distinguished tourist destination which caters to all types of tourists.

It has become a preferred place for living, working, and visiting, thanks to its unique projects and tourism initiatives aimed at supporting the growth and leadership of the tourism sector. Moreover, the UAE has successfully attracted tourists from all around the world and created new investment opportunities in the travel, tourism, and aviation sectors, while also attracting more global tourism companies to the country’s markets.

The UAE has become a sustainable destination for tourists from around the world due to its high-quality hotel facilities, diverse tourist and heritage destinations, as well as its security, stability, strategic location, and diverse events.

This allows it to maintain its regional and global leadership as a distinguished tourist destination that caters to all tourist preferences, while also enhancing its leading position on the global tourism map as one of the main destinations driving the growth of the tourism sector worldwide.

The achievements of the UAE tourism sector in the past year confirm the effectiveness of the country’s tourism policies, as it launches initiatives and national strategies in support of the growth of the tourism sector. It is considered a major contributor to diversifying the national economy and an important factor in enhancing the UAE’s competitiveness on the global tourism map.

In addition, investments are being made in various tourism fields, new tourism and entertainment projects are being developed across the UAE, and new airports are being inaugurated, all of which demonstrate the efficiency of the sustainable tourism policies adopted by the UAE.

The National Tourism Strategy 2031 of the UAE represents a roadmap for creating a sustainable tourism sector. It aims to elevate the country’s status to become the top global tourist destination, increase the tourism sector’s contribution to the GDP to 450 billion dirhams, attract new investments of 100 billion dirhams to the tourism sector, and attract 40 million visitors by 2031.

The international tourism institutions expect the tourism sector in the UAE to achieve exceptional growth and record-breaking figures in the new year. This comes after the successful development of tourism policies and infrastructure in accordance with global best practices.

It is supported by the far-sighted vision of the wise leadership in developing and promoting sustainable tourism policies and strategies for this vital sector.

This sector is considered a major contributor to enhancing national economic growth and supporting its competitiveness, solidifying the country’s position as a leading global tourist destination.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the contribution of the tourism and travel sector to the UAE economy will rise to AED 180.6 billion in 2023, an increase of 8.3% compared to around AED 167 billion in 2022. They also noted that the tourism contribution to the national economy will account for approximately 10% in 2023, compared to around 9% in 2022.

Statistical data from the Ministry of Economy shows a rise in the total revenues of hotel establishments in the country, reaching 26 billion dirhams during the first seven months of the previous year, achieving a growth rate of 24%. Meanwhile, the total number of guests in hotel establishments reached 16 million during the same period, with a growth rate of 15%, resulting in a total of 56 million hotel nights.

Additionally, the hotel occupancy rate reached 75% during the first seven months of the current year, with a growth rate of 5%.

Official data indicate a strong recovery in the tourism sector in the country in 2023, as Dubai attracted around 13.9 million international tourists during the first ten months of 2023, with a growth of 22% compared to the same period in 2022 when it attracted 11.4 million international tourists.

This represents a 3% increase compared to October 2019, before the pandemic, confirming the strong performance of the tourism sector in the emirate and its increasing popularity as a preferred destination for many visitors around the world.

Dubai hotels continued to achieve steady growth levels, as the hotel room occupancy rate reached 76% in the first ten months of 2023, compared to an average occupancy rate of 71% during the same period last year, and 74% average occupancy rate during the corresponding period in 2019, according to data from the Dubai Economy and Tourism Department.

Abu Dhabi hotels succeeded in attracting about 4.525 million guests in the first 11 months of last year, with a growth rate of 25% compared to the same period in 2022. They also recorded a significant increase in their revenues, reaching 5.7 billion dirhams during the same period, exceeding 21%.

The average occupancy rate of Abu Dhabi hotels was about 71% during the first ten months of last year, rising to about 82.5% in November. Meanwhile, the average length of stay was 2.8 nights.

(wam)