Page 78 - MOE ENGLISH PR - MAY 2024

Press Release

period from January to August 2023, the UAE welcomed approximately 210,000 Italian
visitors. This number totalled 265,000 in 2022. With regard to the air traffic between the two
nations, there are over 300 flights operating between the two destinations every month.

The two parties discussed the significance of strengthening cooperation in launching marketing
campaigns promoting prominent destinations and attractions in both countries. Additionally,
they emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise and experiences on policies that
support sustainable tourism growth. The ministers also reiterated their commitment to continue
building on the progress achieved in tourism cooperation in recent years.

During his meeting with the President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, H.E.
Bin Touq was apprised of latest developments in the tourism sector globally, modern trends to
enhance the sector’s growth and strengthen its contribution to the global GDP. The meeting
acknowledged the importance of exchanging expertise and information on sustainable tourism
policies.

H.E. Bin Touq emphasized the UAE’s role as a major player in the tourism sector at both
regional and global levels, highlighting the country’s advanced infrastructure in tourism and
aviation sectors in addition to the unique facilities and features it offers to tourists from around
the world. Furthermore, H.E. shed light on the UAE’s commitment to furthering its efforts in
developing and enhancing tourism in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and the ‘UAE
Centennial Plan 2071.’

Both parties underscored the significance of strengthening cooperation to effectively capitalize
on emerging opportunities in the sector and leverage them to achieve mutual benefits. They
also discussed the importance of addressing challenges facing the sector by harnessing modern
technological means such as artificial intelligence. The importance of capacity-building for
tourism sector employees was also acknowledged.

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