Page 202 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

7/1/25, 3:24 PM UAE tourism hits record $70bn in 2024, ranks among world’s top 7 for visitor spending - Arabian Business: Latest News on the Middl…
“Today’s WTTC results reaffirm the wisdom of our leadership’s vision in enhancing the
competitiveness of our tourism sector, creating employment opportunities for Emiratis, and

further cementing our position as a global tourism powerhouse.”

“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 AED450bn
($121.5bn) and raise the number of hotel guests to 40m annually by the next decade.”

The report also highlighted that leisure tourism accounted for 84.7 per cent of total tourism

expenditure in the UAE in 2024, while business tourism represented 15.3 per cent.

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 per cent of total tourism expenditure

came from international visitors, while 21 per cent was attributed to domestic tourists.

In 2024, the UAE welcomed tourists from a wide range of markets, with the top
contributors being:

India: 14 per cent

UK: 8 per cent

Russia: 8 per cent
China: 5 per cent

Saudi Arabia: 5 per cent
Rest of the world: 60 per cent

This diverse visitor mix reflects the effectiveness of flexible tourism policies and global
outreach strategies.

Despite rapid growth, the UAE has maintained its environmental commitments:

Tourism accounted for just 13.3 per cent of national carbon emissions in 2023

Women made up 16.3 per cent of the sector’s workforce

Youth (ages 15–24) represented 9.7 per cent of tourism jobs

Tourism also contributed $8.6bn in tax revenues, or 5.4 per cent of total government
revenue, highlighting its fiscal importance.

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