Page 782 - MOE ENGLISH PR - MAY 2024

5/14/24, 4:14 PM Tourism accounted for 809,000 jobs in the UAE last year, equivalent to 12.3% of national employment, and this figure is on course …
Panellists said that the planned unified visa would allow member nations to present the GCC as a
connected destination, boosting accessibility and driving KPIs such as length of stay, average spend and

employment. Speakers noted they would continue to ensure that the travel industry positively impacts local

businesses, communities and ecosystems, contributing to the long-term sustainability of tourism across the
region.

Participants also explained that current and future infrastructure will complement the GCC Unified Tourist

Visa by enhancing accessibility within and between Gulf nations. In addition to ongoing investment in new
and existing airports and cruise terminals, the ministerial speakers highlighted the central role of the

upcoming GCC Railway in facilitating and optimising region-wide access for both domestic and international

visitors.

Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “While it’s clear that healthy competition

will continue to play an important role in strengthening the GCC’s world-class tourism offering, it was also

encouraging to hear how collaboration is enabling the region to become more than the sum of its parts in
terms of attracting global travellers. We are immensely grateful to this year’s ministerial participants, who

provided a diverse range of valuable insights into the region’s unified tourism future.”

The opening day of ATM 2024 featured 12 sessions across the Global and Future Stages. Welcoming
attendees to the Global Stage today, H.E. Issam Abdulrahim Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai

Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, hosted the fascinating Global Stage Welcome: The
Gateway to Global Insights session, outlining the key tourism objectives for Dubai for the coming years.

Meanwhile, the all-new Future Stage kicked off a week of innovation-focused sessions, including Branding

in the AI Era: How Travel Brands Can Capture Wanderlust. and The New Age of Island Tourism.

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