UAE showcases its leading experience in tourism sector development at 118th session of OECD Tourism Committee

UAE reaffirms commitment to strengthening tourism resilience, enhancing integration across destinations, and advancing data and statistics in line with best practices

Abu Dhabi, 31 October 2026: The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, participated in the 118th session of the Tourism Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), held recently in Paris, France. The delegation was represented by H.E. Badreya Al Maidoor, Assistant Undersecretary for the Support Services Sector at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

The UAE showcased its leading experience in developing a competitive and sustainable tourism sector, highlighting the key objectives and initiatives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031, as well as its efforts to strengthen the sector’s resilience in the face of global shifts and develop an integrated tourism data and statistics ecosystem.

With extensive international participation, the session featured a series of meetings and discussions on future trends shaping the tourism sector, with a focus on advancing digital transformation, promoting sustainable investment, combating climate change, and increasing the social benefits of tourism. Other key areas included developing indicators to measure tourism sustainability, strengthening data infrastructure for sustainable tourism, and enhancing the sector’s social and economic impact in rural and remote areas.

During the UAE’s intervention at the session, H.E. Badreya Al Maidoor highlighted the strategic role of tourism in supporting economic diversification and driving growth and investment. She underscored the UAE’s success in developing an integrated tourism ecosystem supported by advanced infrastructure, extensive international air connectivity, and a diverse range of destinations and tourism experiences across the seven emirates.

The delegation highlighted the objectives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to increase the sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attract AED 100 billion in tourism investments, and welcome 40 million hotel guests annually by 2031.

The next phase of tourism development will focus on enhancing the industry’s economic value, developing specialised tourism products and experiences, increasing the participation of national talent, and accelerating digital transformation. Expanding the benefits of tourism growth across the UAE’s diverse destinations and local communities will be another key area of focus.

Strengthening tourism resilience and integration across national destinations

As part of discussions on the latest global trends and developments impacting the sector, the delegation highlighted the importance of enhancing tourism’s readiness to navigate challenges affecting international travel by diversifying tourism markets, promoting domestic and regional tourism, and strengthening coordination among government entities, airlines, and private-sector institutions.

The delegation also reviewed the UAE Grand Tour initiative, which encourages visitors to extend their stays and explore various destinations and experiences across the seven emirates within a single journey. The initiative contributes to increasing tourism spending, enhancing integration between destinations, and unlocking new economic opportunities for tourism establishments and SMEs.

Moreover, the delegation highlighted the World’s Coolest Winter campaign as a national initiative aimed at stimulating domestic tourism, showcasing the UAE’s natural, cultural and heritage assets, and encouraging citizens, residents and visitors to explore tourism offerings across the country.

Enhancing the economic and social benefits of tourism

During another session dedicated to exploring ways to increase the social and economic benefits of tourism, the UAE delegation emphasised the importance of balanced tourism development, enhancing the sector’s contribution to job creation, supporting entrepreneurship, developing emerging tourism destinations, and preserving cultural and natural heritage.

The delegation explained that the UAE’s tourism model builds on the diverse competitive advantages of each emirate, enabling the development of integrated tourism products that cater to different visitor demographics while taking into account the economic, social and environmental characteristics of each destination.

The delegation also underscored the UAE’s readiness to share its leading experiences and best practices with OECD member and partner countries, particularly in tourism coordination across the emirates, the implementation of joint national campaigns, and the development of multi-destination experiences, supporting the exchange of knowledge and expertise globally.

Advancing tourism data and measuring tourism sustainability

During a session on strengthening the evidence and data underpinning sustainable tourism policies, the delegation highlighted the UAE’s efforts to develop an integrated tourism data and statistics system. These efforts include further developing the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), improving the measurement of tourism expenditure, leveraging new data sources, and strengthening integration among relevant federal and local entities.

The UAE delegation emphasised the importance of developing practical and internationally comparable indicators to measure the economic, environmental and social dimensions of tourism. It further highlighted opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the OECD, UN Tourism and the European Commission in this field, thereby contributing to the development of a more sustainable tourism sector at the regional and global levels.

Strengthening international partnerships and exchange of best practices

The UAE reaffirmed its commitment to continuing cooperation with the OECD and its member and partner countries and contributing to the development of international initiatives related to tourism resilience, digital transformation, balanced destination development, and measuring the economic, social and environmental impact of tourism activity.