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5/1/24, 9:15 AM WEF Special Meeting: Tourism plays key role in boosting growth, says economy minister Al Marri
leisure and retail. Moreover, it contributes to creating job opportunities for people of
all ages, reducing unemployment rates.
Al Marri also stated that by 2033, the tourism sector would boost its contribution to
the global gross domestic product (GDP) to $15.5 trillion, accounting for 11.6 percent

of the world’s economy. Moreover, Al Marri states that the sector will employ around
430 million individuals globally, which makes up around 12 percent of the global
workforce, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council‘s projections.

Sustainability advances tourism

During the session at the WEF Special Meeting, Al Marri highlighted the importance
of sustainability in driving the tourism sector’s growth in the immediate future.
Therefore, sustainability calls for strengthening collaborative efforts across all fronts

and levels to attain harmony between economic and environmental progress as well as
social accountability. “The UAE is committed to promoting sustainability, not just in
the tourism industry but across diverse economic and environmental sectors,” the
Minister of Economy stated.

Al Marri reiterated the UAE’s commitment to enhancing regional and global tourism
infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of the sector. The country has launched
several initiatives such as the ‘National Tourism Strategy 2031’ to increase the

contribution of the tourism sector to the national GDP and promote sustainable

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