UAE wins in tourism competitiveness

The UAE has beaten countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the broader Middle East and North Africa region in the worldwide tourism index, in which it clinched the 18th spot.

Known as the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), the report ranks 124 countries on the basis of 13 variables. The rankings are an integral part of the first ever Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007, issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Other GCC countries in the report could not make it to the top. Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait occupied 36th, 47th and 67th spots, respectively.

For the purpose of TTCI, WEF looked into 13 factor, or pillars, namely: policy rules and regulations; environmental regulation; safety and security; health and hygiene; prioritisation of travel and tourism; air transport infrastructure; ground transport infrastructure; tourism infrastructure; information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure; price competitiveness; human capital; national tourism perception; and natural and cultural resources.

Switzerland topped the TTCI list followed by Austria, Germany, Iceland and the US.

Still, Hong Kong emerged as the best tourist destination in Asia, having ranked No 6 worldwide. Singapore ranked No 8.

The UAE's ranking put it ahead of some famous destinations, including Cyprus (20), Malta (26) and Malaysia (31) to name a few. The UAE scored 5.09 points on a scale ranging from 1 to 7 points. Switzerland scored 5.66 points, the highest achieved by any country ranked in the report.

According to the report, the UAE achieved its best result (6.8 points) with respect to workforce wellness, in turn part of the human capital variable. This translates into availability of trained staff willing to provide services to tourists and visitors.

Likewise, the country scored relatively high (6.5 points) on the national tourism perception. This suggests that people living and working in the UAE do appreciate the significance of the tourism sector.

To be sure, the travel and tourism (T&T) sector is highly regarded in the UAE, and for good reasons. The report 2007 estimates that the sector accounted for a hefty 12.1 per cent of the UAE's gross domestic product in 2006.

Still, the sector is forecast to grow at an annual rate of 5.2 per cent between 2007 and 2016. In addition, the T&T sector boasts 11.7 per cent of total employment in the UAE, or 294,000 jobs. Also, job opportunities are expected to grow at an annual rate of 2.5 per cent in the period 2007 to 2016.

On the other hand, the UAE scored a measly 3.5 points in the ICT department. It is believed that the deficiency is because of an absence of competition within the telecommunications sector, which results in limited choices for customers.

Also, the country notched another low score of 3.9 points when it came to natural and cultural resources.

Altogether, the UAE lags behind in the sub-index of human, cultural and natural resources section. It ranked 24th worldwide among 124 countries in the report.

However, this shortcoming is partly being addressed via the Dubai Strategic Plan (DSP) for the period 2007 to 2015. The DSP embraces cultural activities, notably local culture.

In particular, Emirates airline is assisting in putting Dubai, and in turn the UAE, on the world tourism map through its ever expanding network.

The international tourist receipt amounted to $2.2 billion in the UAE in 2005. Certainly, it pays to entice people.

The writer is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.