Page 262 - MOET PR REPORT- SEPTEMBER 2025

9/29/25, 5:06 PM UAE solidifies role as key player in global tourism
The country welcomed international visitors primarily from key markets, including India (14 percent), the United
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Kingdom (8 percent), Russia (8 percent), China (5 percent), and Saudi Arabia (5 percent), with 60 percent arriving
from other global regions.
DAILY DISH 42825773 529719045

Total international visitor spending in the UAE reached AED217.3 billion in 2024, showing a 5.8 percent growth
over 2023 and a 30.4 percent increase from 2019. Domestic tourism spending totalled AED57.6 billion last year, a
2.4 percent increase from 2023 and a 41 percent jump from 2019.

Revenue from hotel establishments grew to nearly AED45 billion in 2024. The hotel occupancy rate climbed to 78
percent, one of the highest regionally and globally. The number of hotel guests reached approximately 30.75
million in 2024, a 9.5 percent increase from 28.08 million in 2023, meeting about 77 percent of the national target
of 40 million guests annually.

Total passenger traffic through the UAE's airports exceeded one billion between 2015 and 2024. The total number
of aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) increased to over 6.4 million, while the number of international
visitors rose from about 15 million in 2014 to over 29 million in 2024.

UAE airports handled approximately 102.9 million passengers in the first eight months of 2025, a 5.3 percent
growth compared to 97.9 million passengers during the same period in 2024.

Bin Touq also reported that tourism investments attracted by the UAE reached AED28.8 billion in 2023, rising to
AED32.2 billion in 2024, with projections to hit AED35.2 billion in 2025.

The Minister confirmed that the UAE's travel and tourism sector achieved robust growth in H1 2025. Hotel
establishments hosted more than 16 million guests, a 5.5 percent growth compared to the same period in 2024. As
of the end of H1 2025, the country has 1,243 hotel establishments with over 216,000 rooms. Sixteen new hotels
entered the UAE market in 2024.

Hotel revenues increased to over AED26 billion in H1 2025, a 6.3 percent growth compared to the same period last
year.

Bin Touq projected that the number of hotel guests in the country would reach 33 million in 2025. Hotel revenues
are expected to increase by 7 percent this year compared to AED45 billion in 2024, with UAE airports anticipated to
handle approximately 160 million passengers due to airport expansions and the launch of new routes.

The minister further pointed out that the "World's Coolest Winter" campaign, over its five editions, has yielded
outstanding results in terms of hotel revenues in the country, which amounted to approximately AED6.7 billion.
The campaign also recorded a significant 90 percent growth in hotel revenues, with revenues in the first edition
reaching AED1 billion and AED1.9 billion in the fifth edition.

He emphasised that the campaign has succeeded over the past years in reaching more than 1.2 billion people
around the world, highlighting the UAE's landmarks and diverse destinations in a distinctive manner and
introducing viewers in the region and the world to the country's tourism and natural treasures.

The UAE is preparing to host the UAE Africa Tourism Investment Summit on 27th October 2025, in Dubai, as part of
the Future Hospitality Summit. The event will bring together tourism ministers and senior officials from 53
African nations, underscoring the UAE's role as a trusted partner in tourism investment.

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