{
  "id": 8036121,
  "title": "UAE tourism sector contributes Dh251.3bn to economy as international visitor spend hits Dh209bn",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/uae-tourism-sector-contributes-dh251-3bn-to-economy-as-international",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-17T12:36:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/business/tourism/uae-tourism-sector-contributes-dh2513bn-to-economy-as-international-visitor-spend-hits-dh209bn-1.500678240"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 2025, the UAE's travel and tourism industry made a significant economic contribution, adding approximately Dh251.3 billion to the national economy, marking a 3% increase from the previous year. International visitors spent around Dh209 billion, highlighting the sector's growing significance. These figures, reviewed by the Emirates Tourism Council during a meeting chaired by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, showed a notable 22.2% rise compared to 2019 levels. The council discussed strategies to enhance the tourism ecosystem, promote the UAE, and boost its competitiveness globally. Bin Touq emphasized the government's commitment to diversifying tourism offerings and fostering innovation to attract more visitors. The National Tourism Strategy 2031 aims to elevate the sector's GDP contribution to Dh450 billion, invite Dh100 billion in fresh tourism investments, and welcome 40 million hotel guests annually. Sustainable tourism was a primary concern, with discussions centered on implementing the new National Ecotourism Policy that balances economic gains with environmental conservation. The UAE boasts 55 nature reserves and has rehabilitated 4,900 hectares of desert, mountain, and coastal regions, expanding opportunities for nature-based tourism. The council also tackled the creation of a standard for coastal safety, including plans to broaden tourism offerings in these areas. Moreover, members resolved to finalize an environmental policy review within 30 days and designated each emirate a flagship experience to diversify nature and coastal tourism. The council also explored strategies to extend tourism beyond major cities, collaborating with the Emirates Villages project and leveraging the UN Tourism Best Tourism Villages program to identify promising villages, boost their tourism potential, and distribute the economic benefits to more regions.",
  "summary": "Dubai: The UAE travel and tourism sector contributed about Dh251.3 billion to the national economy in 2025, up 3 per cent from a year earlier, while international visitor spending reached about Dh209 billion, underscoring the sector’s growing economic weight. The 2025 contribution was also more than 22.2 per cent above 2019 levels, according to figures reviewed by the Emirates Tourism Council at…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}