Page 226 - MOET ENGLISH PR REPORT - JUNE 2025

7/1/25, 3:26 PM Mohammed bin Rashid: UAE among top 7 global destinations for international tourist spending
"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 AED450 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 per cent United Kingdom: 8 per cent, Russia: 8 per cent, China: 5

per cent, Saudi Arabia: 5 per cent, and rest of the world: 60 per cent.

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

AED217.3 billion (USD59.2 billion) in 2024, marking a 5.8% increase from 2023 and

a 30.4 per cent rise compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Meanwhile, domestic tourism spending also witnessed strong growth, reaching
AED57.6 billion (US$15.7 billion) in 2024, an increase of 2.4 per cent over 2023 and

a remarkable 41 per cent rise compared to 2019.

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