The UAE has initiated a winter tourism campaign with the aim of contributing $123B to the GDP by 2031, as announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
The fourth season of the “World’s Coolest Winter Campaign” aligns with the 2020 domestic tourism strategy, focusing on supporting the city tourism sector.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stated, “The UAE launches a new season of the annual national tourism campaign, the ‘World’s Coolest Winter Campaign’, emphasizing the nation’s increasing tourist flow due to favorable weather, natural resources, architectural treasures, cultural landmarks, and the warmth of its people. The goal is to elevate the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP to $123bn by 2031.”
The “World’s Coolest Winter Campaign,” themed “Unforgettable Stories,” includes diverse programs, events, and activities aimed at promoting domestic tourism across the UAE and attracting global tourists to enjoy the winter season and its tourist attractions.
In its third season, the campaign saw a positive impact, with an 8% increase in tourist numbers to 1.4 million compared to the second edition. The campaign’s content reached 190 million people worldwide, highlighting key tourism attractions in each emirate and offering full support to visitors with a rich agenda of events.
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, emphasized that the campaign contributes to supporting both inbound and outbound tourism sectors, positioning the UAE as a top tourism destination globally.
The UAE’s tourism sector demonstrated robust performance, with hotel revenues reaching $8.8B from January to September 2023, a growth rate of 27% compared to the same period in 2022.
During the same period, the number of guests in hotel establishments increased by 12% to 20.2 million, and the hotel occupancy rate reached 75%, marking a 6% growth compared to 2022.
The UAE offers a diverse tourism product, including eco-tourism, desert tourism, cultural and heritage tourism, beach tourism, mountain activities, and adventure tourism like diving and skydiving. Additionally, shopping tourism remains prominent with continuous festivals and world-class shopping centres, according to Arabian Business.
