Minister of Economy Abdullah Bin Duq Al-Mari

Thursday, June 22, 2023 / 10:52 am

This recently occurred during the participation of Abdullah bin Duq Al-Marri at the 2023 G20 Tourism Ministers Meeting in the Indian state of Goa, in front of more than 20 decision makers in the global tourism industry.

Encourage collective action

Ibn Touq pointed out the importance of coordinating efforts and promoting joint action to drive tourism regionally and globally and improve its competitiveness, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development, in a way that supports integrated economic and social development. goals.
A number of tourism topics and files were discussed at the meeting, the most important of which were initiatives to make tourism a more sustainable sector and promising opportunities offered by digital transformation and smart applications, especially in the tourism services sector, in addition. Discussing ways to improve the tourism industry and make it more attractive to world talent, especially with the development of tourism products.
The participants in the meeting emphasized the need to create an enabling environment for small and medium enterprises in the tourism sector.

Tourism development

During his speech at the gathering, Ibnu Took said, “Sustainability of the tourism sector is one of the most important factors for the development of this sector in the current period, especially in light of the environmental and social conditions that the world is seeing. , It is necessary to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable tourism by creating laws and policies.” And global standards are hugely supportive of making tourism destinations more sustainable.
He added: The UAE is keen on aligning its tourism infrastructure with international best practices, developing unique tourist destinations and diversifying tourism products in the country in line with the growth of tourists’ needs. ,” pointing to the importance of country-hosted international events in supporting the tourism industry and strengthening the UAE’s leading position on the global tourism map.

United Arab Emirates Department of Tourism

And he continued: “All these developments have helped the UAE tourism sector achieve qualitative improvement in growth and prosperity, as the revenue of hotel companies in the UAE reached 12.2 billion dirhams in the first quarter of 2023, a growth of 7. % compared to the same period in 2022.” As the country received more than 7.2 million hotel guests in the first quarter of 2023, an 18% growth rate compared to the same period in 2022 and 3% growth over 2019.
He pointed out that total hotel nights reached 26 million nights in the first quarter of 2023, a 6% increase compared to the same period in 2022, and a 15% increase compared to the first quarter of 2019, with hotel occupancy rates reaching approx. 80%, which is one of the highest rates regionally and globally. Compared to major tourism markets.
The contribution of tourism to the country’s GDP was 10% in 2022, totaling 166.7 billion dirhams, and its contribution is expected to reach 180.6 billion dirhams by the end of 2023, with a growth of 8.3%. 2022, the World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the tourism sector has contributed to providing more than 750,000 jobs in the past year, accounting for 12% of the country’s total labor market.
Ibn Touq said, “The added value of the operations of the transport and storage sector has the largest share in the growth rates of the country’s GDP at constant prices, at an unprecedented rate of 20.2% in 2022. Until 2021, benefiting from the increase in the number of passengers on international flights and the increase in the state, the air transport The growth and revenue of the national airlines has seen the highest growth rate of this tourism industry in recent years.

Pioneer projects

He pointed out that the UAE is currently implementing a number of pioneering tourism projects, including the “Palm Jebel Ali” project, which stretches about 110 km along Dubai’s coastline. 180 thousand square meters, the project has more than 150 marine animals, which contributes to strengthening the entertainment sector in the country.
He said: “The recently launched National Tourism Strategy 2031 by the United Arab Emirates represents a blueprint for building a sustainable tourism industry as it aims to become the world’s top tourism destination. The tourism sector contributes to the country’s GDP of 450 billion dirhams and attracts new investments. ” It will attract 40 million guests by 2031, worth Dh100 billion to the tourism industry.
He added, “The Ministry of Economy, through the Emirates Tourism Council, in collaboration with partners from local tourism authorities, will implement the objectives of this strategy, develop new tourism initiatives and policies, and support sustainable development. Tourism sector in the country,” designating 2023 as the year of sustainability in the country, travel in the country , will enhance coordinated national efforts to accelerate the pace of sustainable transformation of the tourism, aviation and transport sectors.
The world tourism industry has seen a qualitative growth this year, with the number of tourists from around the world reaching 80% of the level of 2019, and the Middle East region also saw a significant improvement in various tourism indicators. World Tourism Organization 2019. The World Tourism Organization indicates that the number of tourists reached 15% increase in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2021, surpassing the rates of 2019. Reached around one billion tourists in 2022, double the rate for 2021.

Important site

Bin Duq emphasized the importance of convening the G20 meetings, which have become the most important forum for decision-making in various sectors, especially in the economy and tourism, as this year’s meeting of tourism ministers is an important platform to support the transition to a sustainable tourism. A sector based on international best practices and direct investments in various tourism sectors.
In his speech, he thanked India for inviting the UAE to participate in this year’s G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting, commending its efforts in coordinating working groups and its vital and important role in promoting coordinated international efforts to achieve the goals of global sustainable development.