During its meeting held on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market 2026

Emirates Tourism Council reviews national tourism performance and explores unified efforts to enhance UAE’s competitiveness as a sustainable global destination

Travel and tourism sector contributed more than AED 251 billion to the national economy in 2025, up 3% from 2024, while international visitor spending reached AED 209 billion

The Emirates Tourism Council held its latest meeting chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, and attended by the heads and directors-general of local tourism authorities. Held on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, the meeting reviewed the latest performance indicators of the tourism sector and explored a range of initiatives and measures aimed at enhancing the integration of the national tourism ecosystem, unifying promotional efforts, and strengthening the competitiveness of the UAE as a tourism destination across regional and international markets.

H.E. Bin Touq affirmed that the UAE continues to enhance the competitiveness of its tourism sector and consolidate its position as a leading and sustainable global destination. He noted that the country is leveraging the diversity of its tourism products and experiences, its advanced infrastructure, and the integration of its national tourism ecosystem to support the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031.

H.E. highlighted that the tourism and travel sector contributed approximately AED 251.3 billion to the UAE’s economy in 2025, up three per cent from 2024 and more than 22.2 per cent from 2019. International visitor spending reached approximately AED 209 billion last year, underscoring the significant contribution of tourism to the country’s economic development.

The Minister of Economy and Tourism further stated that the latest Council meeting, held alongside Arabian Travel Market 2026, highlights the importance of aligning the visions and efforts of the country’s tourism authorities, while leveraging the event’s position as a global platform to strengthen cooperation, coordinate national efforts, develop tourism products and experiences, and further enhance the UAE’s presence and competitiveness in international markets.

Supporting the national ecotourism policy

In detail, the Council discussed several key topics aimed at advancing the sustainable growth of the UAE’s tourism sector. Discussions focused on ways to support the recently announced National Ecotourism Policy, which aims to promote sustainable practices across the sector and establish a comprehensive framework that balances the developmental and economic benefits of tourism activities with the protection of ecosystems and natural resources. The policy also seeks to reinforce the UAE’s global leadership in ecotourism through sustainable experiences and products. The Council noted that the UAE is home to 55 nature reserves, with 4,900 hectares of desert, mountain and coastal areas having been rehabilitated. These efforts contribute to advancing ecotourism and strengthening sustainability across the sector.

Enhancing community engagement and developing tourism experiences

The Council discussed mechanisms to encourage community participation in the development of ecotourism and promote a culture of responsible tourism. It stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration among government entities, the private sector and local communities to achieve this national objective. The meeting also discussed establishing a unified national safety standard for coastal areas covering beaches, waterfronts and marine activities, to ensure visitor safety and safeguard the reputation of the tourism destination, while expanding the range of coastal and nature-based offerings across the UAE. The Council agreed to complete its review of the environmental policy within 30 days, with each emirate nominating one flagship experience to help diversify tourism experiences centred on nature and coastal environments.

Developing tourism beyond major cities

The Council also discussed initiatives to develop tourism beyond the major cities, notably in cooperation with “the Emirates Villages project in coordination with the Emirates Council for Balanced Development. Discussions also covered leveraging the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ programme of UN Tourism and exchanging best practices with the models featured through the global programme. These efforts will support the diversification of national tourism products and experiences and broaden the benefits of tourism activity across the UAE, particularly through joint efforts to identify emerging villages and tourism destinations, showcase their distinctive assets and experiences, develop diverse tourism content, and to bring more destinations into the national tourism ecosystem, thereby strengthening integration across the UAE’s different regions.