Page 167 - 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
while business tourism represented 15.3%. This demonstrates the sector’s adaptability and its ability to balance both

recreational and commercial tourism demands.

Moreover, the breakdown of spending showed that 79% of total tourism expenditure came from international visitors,

while 21% was attributed to domestic tourists.

The report further emphasised that despite the UAE’s rapid tourism sector growth, the country has remained firmly

committed to environmental standards and sustainability goals. In 2023, carbon emissions linked to tourism activities
accounted for only 13.3% of the nation’s total emissions, reflecting the UAE’s strategic focus on integrating

sustainability across its tourism landscape.

This performance aligns with the UAE’s broader vision to promote sustainable practices across all sectors —

ensuring that tourism growth goes hand-in-hand with environmental responsibility and long-term ecological balance.

On the social front, the report highlighted that women accounted for 16.3% of the direct workforce in the UAE’s travel

and tourism sector in 2023. Additionally, youth aged 15–24 years made up 9.7% of the total employment in the sector,
reflecting its growing role in empowering both women and younger generations within the national labour market.

From a fiscal perspective, the tourism and travel sector generated $8.6 billion in tax revenues in 2023, representing
5.4% of total government revenues. This underscores the sector’s increasing financial significance and its vital

contribution to the country’s public treasury.

On the global level, the report stated that the travel and tourism sector contributed $10.9 trillion to the global GDP in

2024, representing 10% of the world economy. This reflects an 8.5% increase compared to 2023 and a 6% rise

compared 2019.

Looking ahead, the sector’s contribution is projected to reach $11.7 trillion in 2025, which would mark a 6.7%

increase over 2024 and a 13% growth over 2019, underscoring the sustained recovery and expansion of global
tourism.

The report also highlighted the sector’s robust role in job creation, with 356.6 million jobs generated worldwide in

2024, accounting for 10.6% of total global employment. This represents a 6.2% increase from 2023 and a 5.6%

increase from 2019.

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