Emirates News Agency – “COP28” confirms the UAE’s position as a global destination for sustainable tourism

The conference allows over 70,000 attendees to learn about the country’s success story in embracing sustainability.
The COP28 Conference of Parties provides an opportunity to provide practical solutions for the tourism and travel sector’s adaptation mechanisms to the global climate change crisis.
The UAE aims to achieve climate neutrality by considering the environment in all its tourism projects.
The conference supports the aviation industry and contributes to the recovery of flights between Emirates and countries around the world.
– Expectations of increase in hotel booking requests and increase in occupancy rates during the conference.
Choosing Expo City Dubai as the venue for the event reflects the UAE’s global efforts to shape a better future for humanity.

ABU DHABI, 26th October / WAM / The UAE has consolidated its position as a destination of choice for meetings, conferences and exhibitions tourism, and has become a bridge connecting the East and West and is one of the world’s leading destinations for this type of tourism, as a result of its global reputation in the sector, and its sustainable As a result of the development, tourism with improved airports and global airline fleet, as well as accommodation and visa facilities.
By organizing many international conferences and various events, the country has strengthened its global and regional confidence in being a preferred tourist destination. Work together to find quality solutions for them.
The United Arab Emirates will host the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) from November 30 to December 12 this year at “Expo City Dubai”. Tourism in the UAE, the conference opens wide doors, for lovers of tourism in general and eco and sustainable tourism in particular.
– Pioneering strategies.
The United Arab Emirates has adopted pioneering strategies to promote sustainability in the tourism sector, and in this regard, the “National Tourism Strategy 2031” launched by the country last year, stands as one of the biggest goals in the coming years. To establish the country’s position as a top tourism landmark worldwide and to cement its status as a leading tourist destination, the country’s seven emirates are built on tourism diversity, utilizing the unique features and characteristics. Various federal and local tourism organizations and destinations, national airlines and many international organizations and global corporations.
The strategy aims to consolidate the country’s position as one of the world’s top tourist destinations, improve its competitiveness by attracting 100 billion dirhams in additional tourism investments and double the number of tourists to 40 million with an expected total contribution of 450 billion dirhams. to GDP by 2031.
– Stability and luxury.
The “COP28” conference is an opportunity to highlight the eco-friendly tourism destinations in the UAE and the country’s success story from the world’s unique natural reserves and desert environment. It is a global tourist destination that combines ancient roots and modern infrastructure, and is evident in its modern services that compete with the most important countries in the world, its luxurious tourist attractions, its magnificent architecture and the adaptation of the “Burj Khalifa”. The tallest tower in the world, as well as the Louvre Museum – Abu Dhabi, the Dubai Museum and the Museum of the Future, and offers a variety of options for accommodation, visits and tours. The expanse of geographical diversity between deserts, mountains and unique beaches, in addition to its cultural heritage, presents a humanitarian message embodied in the values ​​of tolerance and coexistence that the UAE enjoys and calls for.
With more than 70,000 participants from around the world at the “COP28” conference, including heads of state and government, ministers and representatives of non-governmental organizations, the private sector, indigenous peoples and youth, they will undoubtedly learn about the UAE’s success story in embracing sustainability within the UAE’s tourism agenda. , considering the importance of sustainable tourism in the future vision of the UAE government, as evidenced by its sustainable infrastructure and green hotels.
The UAE has one of the best, most advanced and sustainable infrastructure systems in the world, and has a federal road network with international specifications, capable of meeting the growing demand for land transport and ensuring sustainable development. 50% of federal roads also have a lighting system that uses the technology. The UAE government has strengthened this by adopting national building regulations that include energy-saving LED lighting, sustainability guidelines for buildings, roads and federal housing, and national building sustainability. A guide to operation and maintenance molds ensures a 15% reduction in the use of materials and natural resources, and a 5% reduction in carbon footprint, 45% reduction in road energy, 25% reduction in energy in buildings and homes, 16% reduction in water consumption, and supports a green economy.
– An important global message.
The importance of the country hosting the “COP28” conference is highlighted in drawing the world’s attention to the Emirates, improving its position on the global tourism map, discussing climate change issues and creating visions and solutions for them.
The selection of “Expo City Dubai” to host the conference activities brings together the world in one place within a period of 6 months to connect the pressing global issues with the humanitarian data embodied in “Expo 2020 Dubai”, whereby the UAE Providing a great example of its skills and capabilities to drive global efforts to shape the future. Best for human civilization, Expo City Dubai offers a realistic Emirati interpretation of its sustainability and achieving ideal lifestyles that combine luxury and safety. Earth.
Dubai is one of the most important global tourist destinations after winning the title of TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards 2023 for the second year in a row with its diverse attractions, advanced infrastructure and unique experiences. And including the high-quality services it offers: Dubai International Airport maintained its position as the world’s leading airport in terms of passenger numbers last year with 66 million passengers. Hosting and organizing several major events with a wide global impact, especially “Expo 2020 Dubai” and the World Government Summit, GITEX Global Exhibition and other events of wide international repute have strengthened Dubai’s position as a major hub for conferences. , exhibitions and major international events.

– Tourist attractions.
The famous role of the conference “COP28” appears in the introduction of tourism destinations in the United Arab Emirates, due to the great importance of exhibition and conference tourism in general, which is one of the most important types of tourism, an opportunity to attract attention. Identify the world’s most important tourist destinations through media and social networking sites, which opens wide doors to encourage visitors to learn about the Emirates’ landmarks. A wide and active network of air carriers connecting Emirates to various countries of the world.
At the same time, as the tourism and travel industry contributes 9-12% of the total greenhouse gas emissions, according to international studies and research, the conference provides an opportunity to provide practical solutions for the travel industry’s adaptation mechanisms to the global climate crisis. Of emissions worldwide, 8% of it is for the hospitality sector and about 2.8%. For the aviation sector, it needs to reduce to 66% per cabin by 2030 and 90% per cabin by 2050.
The UAE considers the environment in all its tourism projects to achieve zero carbon emissions, and the country’s tourism and travel sector is leading global and regional efforts to achieve net zero emissions. Useful actions.
Over the past two decades, ecotourism has seen significant growth in the Emirates as it targets tourists seeking tourism experiences that contribute to the preservation of the environment and national heritage.
With 49 nature reserves in the UAE, representing about 15.53% of the country’s total area, nature reserves are considered one of the most attractive eco-tourism destinations for visitors.

– Aviation sector recovery.
The “COP28” conference is considered one of the stations supporting the recovery of flights between the aviation industry and the Emirates and the countries of the world, especially with more than 70 thousand participants in the conference, benefiting from a wide and active network. National carriers outperform many regional and global peers in terms of number of destinations, operational efficiency and services offered to passengers.
National carriers are expected to continue their momentum of growth and recovery in the coming years, benefiting from strong demand for travel to and from Emirates, especially after becoming the world’s most preferred destination for tourism and business. Great successes by the country in dealing with the pandemic and the success of Expo 2020 Dubai. In addition to preparations for hosting COP28.

– Eco-friendly hotels.
An increase in hotel booking requests at the “COP28” conference and from participants or visitors in the region to learn about this major global event is expected to increase the occupancy rate. Expo City has successfully completed 6 months of “Expo 2020 Dubai” activities. “In drawing the world’s attention to the world’s largest and most sustainable engineering innovations.
The government encourages hotels to adopt eco-friendly strategies and reduce environmental pollution, especially in light of the efforts to host the COP28 conference, by implementing green practices in construction, maintenance, services and logistics, reducing food waste and providing clean. Managing energy water consumption and reducing carbon emissions.
On the other hand, as hotels in the Emirates strive to redouble their efforts to achieve a climate neutral strategy and reach net zero emissions by 2050, the hotel industry has shown great commitment to trying to improve and integrate environmental awareness practices. Adopting innovative solutions, policies and strategies to achieve sustainable development goals.