Page 42 - MOE ENGLISH PR - MAY 2024

Press Release

innovation. The charter also supports the achievement of the goals set by the ‘National Tourism
Strategy 2031,’ to raise the UAE’s position as the best tourism identity in the world, consolidate
its leadership as a leading tourism destination, and increase the sector’s contribution to the national
GDP by AED 450 billion. It also aims to attract new investments worth AED100 billion to the
UAE’s tourism sector and 40 million guests to the country’s hotel facilities by the next decade.

At the meeting, the UAE delegation underlined the Regional Commission’s priorities, emphasizing
the importance of medical tourism, investments, and joint regional products, especially after the
Covid-19 crisis brought on new challenges that require focusing on the comprehensive digital
transformation of tourism services, management of tourism crises, and the strengthening of the
sector’s resilience. The delegation also called for increasing the UN World Tourism Organization's
support for Middle Eastern countries and expanding initiatives that enhance the growth and
prosperity of tourism in the region.

Also highlighted was the importance of enhancing cooperation with the UN World Tourism
Organization to enhance tourism flows in the region, especially as the UAE looks forward to
generating meaningful outcomes from the session, including initiatives and projects that support
joint tourism efforts in the Middle East region.

Furthermore, the meeting reviewed the main indicators for the Middle East that were mentioned in
the fact sheet issued by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The most prominent is
the increase in the contribution of tourism to the Middle East’s GDP in 2023 to reach USD506.8
billion, with expectations of annual growth of up to 2.4 per cent by 2034. The number of jobs in
the travel and tourism sector is expected to rise to 2.14 million between 2024 and 2034.

The meeting discussed a number of key topics, most notably the Secretary General’s report, and
the report of the Middle East’s Regional Director, which reviewed the organization’s activities in
2023 and 2024. The meeting’s agenda also included a brief presentation on the activities of the
associate members in the Middle East region for the years 2023 and 2024, and preparation for the
World Tourism Day celebrations in 2024.

-Ends-

For further information, please contact:

Orient Planet Group (OPG)
Tel: +971 4 4562888
Email: media@orientplanet.com
Website: www.orientplanet.com

2