During its meeting chaired by His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri

Emirates Tourism Council reviews performance of the sector and discusses mechanisms for utilizing data to support tourism growth and sustainability

Hotel establishments in the UAE welcomed 26.1 million guests, up five per cent, while the number of hotel nights grew by six per cent year-over-year to reach 89 million

The Emirates Tourism Council convened its latest meeting, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, with the participation of heads and directors general of local tourism departments across the UAE. The Council reviewed the sector’s performance during the current year and discussed a number of strategic priorities related to strengthening its governance, enhancing the tourism data ecosystem, and supporting the long-term sustainability of the sector. The meeting also followed up on the outcomes and recommendations of the previous meeting.

H.E. Bin Touq affirmed that the UAE’s tourism sector continued to demonstrate strong performance in 2025, reflecting the effectiveness of national tourism policies and the high level of coordination between federal and local tourism authorities. He noted that this performance reinforces the UAE’s position as a leading global tourism destination and underscores its ability to achieve sustainable growth through the diversification of tourism products, the continuous enhancement of visitor experiences, and the optimal utilization of the competitive advantages of the country’s seven emirates. These strengths collectively offer world-class destinations that meet growing global demand, further consolidating the UAE’s status as one of the world’s most prominent tourism destinations.

His Excellency also reviewed the most prominent results achieved by the UAE’s tourism and hospitality sector during the period from January to October 2025, noting that these figures reflect the strength of the sector and the continued demand for destinations across various emirates of the country. The hotel establishments in the UAE welcomed 26.1 million guests with a growth of five per cent compared to the same period in 2024, and more than 89 million hotel nights were recorded with a growth of six per cent, in addition to the surge in the average length of stay and the rise in occupancy rates to reach 79.3 per cent. Similarly, hotel revenues totaled AED 40 billion, which confirms the sector’s ability to continue sustainable growth.

His Excellency said: “In the next phase, we will focus on developing tourism governance, strengthening the national data system, supporting the shift towards more sustainable tourism practices, and leveraging accurate data, statistics, and future analyses to support planning and decision-making. In addition, emphasis will be placed on enhancing integration in marketing efforts at the national level, which will contribute to maximizing the economic impact of the tourism sector and support the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.”

Furthermore, the meeting reviewed the launch of the sixth edition of the “World's Coolest Winter” campaign, under the theme “Our Winter is Entrepreneurial.” The campaign aims to boost domestic tourism and enhance the diversity of tourism offerings across all the emirates of the UAE, while also promoting entrepreneurship in the sector by enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups to contribute to creating innovative tourism experiences. These efforts enhance the attractiveness of local destinations, support a balanced distribution of tourist flows, and contribute to the growth and sustainability of the national tourism sector.

The meeting reviewed tourism projections for 2026 based on analyses by Euromonitor. It highlights continued growth in tourism regionally and globally, with an increasing focus on experience-based tourism, sustainability, and integrated digital solutions. This supports the strategic planning efforts for the UAE’s tourism sector in the coming phase.

The Council followed up on the progress achieved in key domains, including strengthening the Tourism Statistics Committee in coordination with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, and the Tourism Marketing Committee. It discussed working with local tourism entities to improve national tourism indicators and enhance their accuracy. It also addressed their role in unifying tourism data methodologies nationally, establishing an integrated digital database, and enhancing coordination of promotional and marketing efforts both locally and internationally. These efforts support the UAE’s standing as a global tourism destination.

Also, the Council explored cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to strengthen governance and sustainability policies in the tourism sector and to develop the national tourism data system.

The Council also discussed preparations for the UAE hosting the first GCC Tourism Conference, set to be held in Al Ain in February 2026. The Conference aims to enhance GCC tourism collaboration, support a unified GCC tourism vision, and accelerate digital transformation and innovation in the sector, reflecting the UAE’s prominent role in supporting regional tourism integration.