H.E. Bin Touq meets with China Tourism Group to explore ways to boost Chinese tourism investment in the UAE

Meeting discusses joint tourism initiatives between the UAE and China, with a focus on medical & cultural tourism

 His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of Investopia, held a meeting with His Excellency Wang Haimin, Chairman of China Tourism Group, in the presence of Her Excellency Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, Secretary-General elect of the UN Tourism (2026 – 2029). The meeting took place on the sidelines of Investopia Global Talks – Beijing, which was organised in the Chinese capital drawing extensive participation from business leaders, investors, innovators, officials, decision-makers, and entrepreneurs from both countries.

H.E. Bin Touq emphasised that the UAE-Chinese relations are witnessing continuous development across various economic and developmental fields, particularly in the tourism sector, which is a fundamental pillar for enhancing cultural and economic exchange between the two sides. He pointed out the importance of enhancing cooperation in tourism promotion, exchanging expertise and knowledge, and supporting qualitative investments in the tourism, hospitality, and aviation sectors.

The two parties discussed mechanisms to increase Chinese investments in UAE’s hospitality sector including tourist resorts, shopping centres, and entertainment venues. They also explored the potential for developing joint tourism programmes targeting travelers from both sides, as well as enhancing cooperation in tourism fields, particularly medical tourism, cultural tourism, and MICE.

The UAE and Chinese sides explored ways to deepen cooperation in sustainable tourism, green tourism, and leisure tourism, focusing on developing fruitful partnerships between companies and tourism agencies in both countries to create new opportunities. Mechanisms for the joint promotion of prominent destinations in the UAE and China were also discussed, to enhance their appeal on the global tourism map and simultaneously lead to increased tourist and visitor flows between the two sides.

In this context, H.E. Bin Touq reviewed the targets of the UAE National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to elevate the UAE's status as the premier global tourism identity, increase the sector's contribution to the national economy's GDP to AED 450 billion, attract new investments worth AED 100 billion into the sector, and attract 40 million hotel guests by the next decade.

Additionally, the UAE delegation held a meeting with Pansy Ho, Vice President and Secretary-General of the World Tourism Economy Forum, Chairman of the Executive Board and Managing Director of Shun Tak Holdings Limited, to discuss the latest global trends in the sector, sustainable tourism policies adopted by destinations around the world, and the importance of localising technology and innovation in shaping the future of this vital sector.

The meeting discussed the vital role of AI and digital transformation in creating unique experiences for visitors and enhancing the management of tourism destinations more efficiently and sustainably, thereby supporting the sector’s global competitiveness.