UAE tourism overview
The UAE has already established itself as a leading tourist destination in the Middle Eastern region, exceeding 25 million international tourist arrivals at its peak in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. In the UAE, the tourism and hospitality sector has established itself as a significant source of employment. Employment in the travel and tourism industry in the UAE was projected to reach nearly 400 thousand by 2028.Prior to the pandemic, the share of Dubai’s contribution to the country’s tourism GDP was the highest among all Middle East and North African cities. Inbound tourism expenditure as a share of outbound tourism expenditure in the UAE fell after the COVID-19 outbreak by almost 50 percent. However, strong signs of recovery in the UAE’s tourism industry are evident in its improving hospitality indicators. The occupancy rate of hotel rooms in the UAE in 2022 were returning to pre-pandemic benchmarks.
