Page 112 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2024 (International)

9/30/24, 9:56 AM UAE tourism sector witnesses steady growth with hotel establishm - NEWSnet Northern Michigan
seven per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2023. Furthermore, the number of

hotel guests across the UAE's seven emirates reached approximately 15.3 million during

the first six months of 2024, reflecting a 10.5 per cent growth.

H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates

Tourism Council, said: "The latest results demonstrate the effectiveness of the country's

efforts and strategies in enhancing the tourism sector, in line with international best

practices. They also underline the competitive advantage of the UAE's tourism offerings
both at regional and global levels. These indicators are crucial in realising the objectives of

the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to boost the sector's contribution to the

national GDP to 450 billion dirhams and attract 40 million visitors to hotel establishments

by the next decade."

His Excellency added: "Thanks to the directives of the wise leadership, UAE tourism has
been able to maintain its growth in terms of both revenues and hotel capacity. The hotel

occupancy rate in the country reached 79.5 per cent in H1 2024, which is among the

highest globally, growing by 3.7 per cent compared to H1 2023." His Excellency noted that

national efforts continue to support joint action in the implementation of tourism-related

plans and strategies and solidify the UAE's position as one of the best destinations in the

world, in the light of the We the UAE 2031 vision.

H.E. Bin Touq explained: "In terms of travel and aviation, the country's airports recorded an

increase in passenger numbers during the first half of this year. This echoes the

international confidence and trust in the quality and efficiency of travel services in the UAE,

as well as the quality of air transport infrastructure. The UAE has invested in aviation
infrastructure development projects, increasing airports' capacity to accommodate larger

numbers of passengers, with a total capacity now estimated at more than 160 million

passengers. In addition, the UAE has entered cooperation agreements with 188 countries

around the world in the air transport sector. This facilitates inbound and outbound flights to

these destinations and consolidates the UAE's position as a leading regional and global
destination for travel and aviation."

https://michigan.newsnetmedia.com/story/51444260/uae-tourism-sector-witnesses-steady-growth-with-hotel-establishment-revenues-increasing-by-7-p… 2/3