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5/1/24, 9:15 AM H.E. Bin Touq Leads UAE Delegation Participating In World Economic Forum In Riyadh | MENAFN.COM
National initiatives & strategies to promote sustainable tourism growth

H.E. emphasized that the UAE attaches significant importance to the tourism sector,
recognizing it as a key contributor to national economic growth and enhancing its

competitiveness and diversity. The country has successfully highlighted its tourism diversity in
the past phase, promoting the unique features and characteristics of all seven emirates, with

the aim of attracting more global companies to its markets. These achievements encourage
national and foreign 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, H.E. 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 AED 450 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

H.E. Bin Touq noted the importance of ecotourism in supporting the sustainability of the
tourism sector and preserving natural reserves and desert attractions. H.E. presented

examples for sustainable tourism in the UAE, including the Al Marmoom Conservation
Reserve, which balances the experiences of visitors with the preservation of environment, in
addition to Sir Baniyas Island that 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, H.E. 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 AED 220 billion, accounting for 11.7 per cent. This is expected to rise in 2024 to

AED 236 billion, equivalent to 12 per cent of the country's GDP, according to a recent report
by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

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