Page 496 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - MAY 2025 ( Part 2)

5/22/25, 1:48 PM Bin Touq meets with tourism ministers of Spain, Croatia to enhance prospects for cooperation in sector - Eye of Dubai
next decade.

The strategy has established a set of national objectives, which include elevating the UAE’s status to become a leading global

destination, increasing the sector's contribution to the national GDP to AED 450 billion, attracting tourism investments worth
AED 100 billion to the country's markets, and welcoming 40 million guests by the year 2031.

The Minister of Economy reviewed key performance indicators of the UAE tourism sector, which include a total of AED 45
billion in hotel revenues in 2024 with a three per cent year-over-year growth. The hotel occupancy rate in the country reached
78 %, which is among the highest regionally and globally. Additionally, 16 new hotels were launched across the UAE in 2024,
taking the total number of hotels to 1,251 by the end of last year.

During his meeting with Rosario Sánchez Grau, Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Bin Touq reviewed latest developments
in the global tourism sector, the mechanisms to enable sustainable growth, as well as enhancing cooperation in various
tourism fields. The two sides explored the potential for establishing new partnerships to increase mutual tourism flows.

The number of Spanish tourists to the UAE reached 150,231 in 2024, representing an increase of more than 14% compared
to that of 2023. The number of flights between the UAE and Spain amount to approximately 48 weekly services, operated by
airlines of both countries.

Bin Touq and Tonči Glavina discussed enhancing cooperation between tourism companies and entities in the UAE and Croatian
markets, in addition to enhancing joint efforts to create new tourism and leisure programs to promote mutual tourism flows.

There are currently more than 42 monthly flights between the UAE and Croatia, operated by the airlines of both countries.

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