Page 180 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT- NOVEMBER 2024

11/28/24, 2:18 PM Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum gets under way
Al Midfa highlighted the recent recovery being witnessed in the tourism sector, according to figures
released by the United Nations World Tourism organisation, which indicate a return to pre-pandemic
levels. This recovery, especially post the “COVID-19” pandemic, is projected to see an increase of 4-
6% in the region in 2024, contributing to global economic support.

He emphasised that logistical developments in the tourism sector and infrastructure improvements
are attracting the attention of travelers and companies, thereby bolstering the sector. The Middle East
region is the only one that has seen growth in tourist numbers, reaching 122% in 2023 compared to
2019.

Abdullah Al Saleh, Deputy Minister of Economy, highlighted the importance of exploring the best local
and global practices in tourism development through the topics on its agenda, considering them
crucial pillars in the tourism sector. Al Saleh addressed key points that should be focused on,
including developing a distinguished digital infrastructure, creating opportunities for the private sector
for investment and expansion, and continuously updating governmental policies and strategies.

He described the tourism sector as one of the most important developmental drivers for the national
economy, citing notable achievements of the UAE where it ranked first regionally in the Tourism and
Travel Competitiveness Index and sixth globally as the largest market in tourism revenue, reaching

Dhs191 billion in 2023. He also mentioned the increase in hotel guests in the country, reaching 15.3
million during the first six months of the current year.

Abdullah Al Saleh revealed that the UAE is currently collaborating with the United Nations World

Tourism Organisation to implement a pilot project to measure sustainable tourism in the UAE, aiming
to measure the economic impact of the tourism sector and assess its environmental, cultural, and
social impacts. This underscores the country’s efforts to support sustainable tourism, along with
education and human resource development in the tourism sector by applying the best international
practices to integrate tourism into educational curricula.

Basmah Al Mayman, Regional Director of the Middle East at UN Tourism, presented a visual
presentation during the forum focusing on the organissation’s role in innovation, digital capabilities,
and their reflection in the tourism sector, as well as the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the
future of smart tourism worldwide and in the Middle East region.

During her presentation, Al Mayman shared some global tourism data from the past two years
according to the UNWTO tourism scale. This included an influx of 1.3 billion international tourists, a
9.1% contribution of the tourism sector to the global GDP, and tourism exports reaching $1.7 trillion.
These figures reflect the recovery of the tourism sector post-COVID-19 pandemic. In terms of job

opportunities, statistics indicated the creation of 27 million new jobs in the tourism sector in 2023.

During the forum’s opening session, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi witnessed a session titled
“Tourism in the Digital Transformation Era,” where both Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, the CEO of the

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and Basma Al Maiman, the Regional
Director for the Middle East at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, spoke about the role
of digital technologies in reshaping the tourism sector.
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