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5/1/24, 9:13 AM Sustainability is key to boosting tourism sector’s growth: Bin Touq - GulfToday
investments in tourism projects, thereby consolidating the UAE’s position on
the travel and tourism landscape at regional and global levels.

Elaborating on the UAE’s experience in developing its tourism sector in
accordance with international best practices and making it more flexible and
sustainable, Bin Touq said that these included the promotion of sustainable
tourism practices such as eco-friendly accommodation, wildlife conservation,
cultural heritage, and the launch of national initiatives and strategies such as
the ‘National Tourism Strategy 2031’. The strategy aims to increase the
contribution of the UAE tourism sector to the national GDP to AED450 billion,
raising the country’s profile as the best tourism identity by the next decade.
Besides, through the launch of the National Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Roadmap, the country has set an ambitious target to achieve annual production
of up to 700 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.

Role of ecotourism in promoting sustainability of national tourism sector Bin
Touq noted the importance of ecotourism in supporting the sustainability of the
tourism sector and preserving natural reserves and desert attractions. He
presented examples of sustainable tourism in the UAE, including the Al
Marmoom Conservation Reserve, which balances the experiences of visitors
with the preservation of the environment, in addition to Sir Baniyas Island which
has ecotourism potential. He also highlighted major international events hosted
by the country such as Expo 2020 Dubai and COP28, which also played a
prominent role in promoting tourism growth.

UAE tourism sector achieves record in key performance indicators Reviewing
performance indicators and results achieved by UAE tourism in 2023, Bin Touq
confirmed its full recovery from the pandemic and return to higher levels of
growth than 2019. The national tourism sector grew by a significant 26 per cent
in 2023 compared to that of 2022 and surpassed 2019 levels by 14 per cent. Its
contribution to the country’s GDP amounted to AED220 billion, accounting for
11.7 per cent. This is expected to rise in 2024 to Dhs236 billion, equivalent to
12 per cent of the country’s GDP, according to a recent report by the World
Travel and Tourism Council.

In addition, this vital sector provided 809,000 jobs in various activities and
tourism fields in the country in 2023, equivalent to 12.3 per cent of the total
labour market. With a five per cent growth from 2022, exceeding 2019 levels
with 11.4 per cent growth, the number of jobs it creates is expected to reach
833,000 in 2024. There are currently 1,235 hotels in the UAE providing a total
of 210,000 rooms for guests and visitors.

Unified GCC Tourism Visa Bin Touq explained that efforts are underway in
collaboration with other GCC partners to launch the unified GCC tourist visa.
Once it comes into effect, it will contribute to highlighting the diverse tourism
destinations in GCC countries, attracting and retaining tourists for longer

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