H.E. Abdulla bin Touq meets with tourism ministers from Brazil, Portugal, Azerbaijan and Argentina to discuss enhancing tourism partnerships

Hotel occupancy rate in the UAE rises to 79.5 per cent during the first 11 months of 2025

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, held a series of bilateral meetings with tourism ministers from Brazil, Portugal, Azerbaijan and Argentina, with an aim to explore new avenues for collaboration and exchange experiences and best practices in sustainable tourism development.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of His Excellency’s participation in FITUR Madrid 2026. During the discussions, H.E. highlighted that strengthening strategic partnerships with key global tourism markets ranks among the UAE’s top priorities. Guided by the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership and its forward-looking vision rooted in openness and international cooperation, these efforts aim to drive growth in the tourism sector and enhance its global competitiveness. Such partnerships play a vital role in expanding cooperation with friendly countries and deepening integration in tourism promotion, in line with global shifts in the industry.

H.E. further emphasised that international visitor spending in the UAE reached approximately AED 217.3 billion in 2024, recording a growth of 5.8 per cent compared to 2023 and up 30.4 per cent compared to that of 2019. According to a report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), visitor spending is expected to grow by 5.2 per cent in 2025 to reach AED 228.5 billion.

H.E. said: “The UAE’s hospitality sector witnessed remarkable growth from January to November 2025, with the hotel occupancy rates rising to 79.5 per cent, while the average length of stay increased to 3.42 nights. This coincided with an expansion in accommodation capacity, bringing the number of hotels to 1,260 and the number of rooms to around 216,900. This reflects the robustness of this vital sector, its ability to keep pace with growing demand, and its increasing contribution to the national economy.”

Developing tourism offerings and joint promotion with Portugal

H.E. Bin Touq’s meeting with H.E. Pedro Machado, Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services of Portugal, discussed mechanisms to strengthen collaboration in developing tourism offerings, particularly in cultural, ecotourism and maritime tourism. The two sides also explored strengthening aviation partnerships and exchanging expertise in tourism experience development, hospitality, and vocational training.

The number of Portuguese tourists visiting the UAE reached approximately 89,000 in 2025, up 4 per cent compared to that of 2024. Additionally, the number of direct weekly flights between cities in the two countries totalled 21.

Collaboration in sports and cultural tourism with Argentina

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq also met with H.E. Daniel Scioli, Argentina’s Secretary of Tourism, Sports and Environment to enhance avenues for cooperation in sports and cultural tourism. Discussions also covered the exchange of initiatives and programmes that promote visitor engagement in events and activities and explore the potential for organising joint events to boost tourism flows between the two countries. The number of Argentine tourists visiting the UAE reached 34,900 in 2025, reflecting a nine per cent year-over-year growth.

Exploring enablers for expanding tourism partnership with Brazil

In another bilateral meeting with H.E. Gustavo Feliciano, Minister of Tourism of Brazil, H.E. Bin Touq discussed enablers for expanding the scope of tourism partnership between the two countries, focusing on promoting their destinations, exchanging best practices, and attracting investments in tourism infrastructure, including hotels, resorts, and leisure facilities. The meeting also addressed increasing the number of flights between the two countries, the role of the private sector and sovereign wealth funds in supporting tourism projects, and the formation of a joint working group to follow up on projects and identify future priorities in both countries’ tourism fields.

The number of Brazilian guests staying at hotel establishments in the UAE increased significantly to 165,000 during the past year, with a growth of four per cent. The number of direct weekly flights between the two countries totalled 14, reflecting growing mutual interest in both destinations.

Expanding partnership in tourism, investment and event organisation with Azerbaijan

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq concluded his meetings with a discussion with H.E. Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of the State Tourism Agency of Azerbaijan. The meeting explored avenues for cooperation in tourism investment, event organisation, the development of specialised tourism offerings, and the exchange of expertise in destination management. Both sides also discussed enhancing investments in the hospitality sector to support increased tourist flows between the two countries.

The number of Azerbaijani tourists visiting the UAE increased to 38,600 during the past year, up seven per cent compared to 2024. The number of direct weekly flights between the two countries currently stands at 20.