Dubai: The Emirates Tourism Council has approved a joint action plan of the Ministry of Economy and local tourism departments.
The joint initiative aims to increase the inflow of international tourists to the UAE as well as open new tourism markets to attract tourists. The plan includes large-scale promotional campaigns targeting several promising destinations that could drive tourists to visit the UAE, introducing the long-term and multiple-entry tourist visa recently announced by the government, and promoting the country’s distinctive tourism destinations, recreational activities, and services.
The tourism sector was able to achieve outstanding performance rates and enhanced the level of recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 crisis to stand today and move towards a new stage of growth and development to further increase its contribution to supporting the national economy
He said the results achieved during the last 12 months provides a strong foundation to increase the number of tourists entering the country during the Expo Dubai 2020, noting that the outputs and plans can help open new markets and enhance the country’s position on the global tourism map as one of the world’s best and safest sustainable tourism destinations.
The council also adopted a coordination system at the federal and local levels to develop new and integrated initiatives and solutions where all the emirates’ tourism sector can benefit from the hosting of the Expo Dubai 2020 in October. The global event expects delegations from more than 190 countries to be arriving in the country throughout the exhibition period.
Proactive tourism developments are in place
Emirates Tourism Council also approved the practical steps for joint planning of upcoming domestic tourism campaign during the winter season in the country, including the proposed innovative initiatives and events. Furthermore, it agreed on the process to support the gathering of tourism data in the country aimed at promoting proactive tourism development efforts.
The tourism sector reported remarkable growth after hotels experienced an increase in the occupancy rate of 62 per cent during the first-half of 2021 compared to 53.6 per cent reported during the same period in 2020, while total revenues reached Dh11.3 billion, compared Dh8.6 billion in the corresponding period. The total number of hotels guests during the first-half of this year reached 8.3 million guests nationwide, a 15 per cent increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
