Page 166 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

7/1/25, 3:21 PM Mohammed bin Rashid: UAE among top 7 global destinations for international tourist spending - Aletihad News Center
“These achievements underscore that the UAE tourism sector is confidently progressing toward the goals set out in

the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. The strategy aims to increase the sector’s contribution to the national GDP to Dh450

billion and raise the number of hotel guests to 40 million annually by the next decade.”

He noted that national efforts are ongoing to develop a fully integrated tourism ecosystem, guided by international
best practices. These efforts include strengthening engagement with key regional and international tourism markets,

expanding the range of tourism offerings, and enhancing service quality to provide comprehensive and enriching

experiences for visitors from around the world.

“These initiatives are in line with the UAE vision We the UAE 2031, and they aim to elevate the country's status as

one of the world’s leading tourism destinations in the coming decade,” he concluded.

Regarding international tourism, the WTTC report highlighted that the UAE continues to assert its position as one of
the world’s leading travel destinations. In 2024, the country welcomed international visitors from a diverse range of

key markets, including India: 14%, United Kingdom: 8%, Russia: 8%, China: 5%, Saudi Arabia: 5%, and rest of the

world: 60%.

This broad geographical distribution reflects the UAE’s growing global appeal and the effectiveness of its flexible and

inclusive tourism policies in attracting a wide array of visitors.

The report further revealed that international visitor spending in the UAE reached Dh217.3 billion ($59.2 billion) in

2024, marking a 5.8% increase from 2023 and a 30.4% rise compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Meanwhile, domestic tourism spending also witnessed strong growth, reaching Dh57.6 billion ($15.7 billion) in 2024,

an increase of 2.4% over 2023 and a remarkable 41% rise compared to 2019.

These figures underscore both the resilience and upward momentum of the UAE’s tourism sector across international

and domestic fronts, further solidifying its position as a premier global destination.

The WTTC report projects that international visitor spending in the UAE will rise by 5.2% in 2025, reaching
approximately Dh228.5 billion. Meanwhile, domestic tourism spending is expected to grow by 4.3%, hitting Dh60

billion by the end of the year.

The report also highlighted that leisure tourism accounted for 84.7% of total tourism expenditure in the UAE in 2024,

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