Photo for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced on Friday a national tourism strategy to attract 40 million hotel guests by 2031. The strategy, which was unveiled in the presence of Cabinet ministers and senior government officials, aims to attract Dh100 billion in tourism investment to the UAE. "Today, we adopted our national tourism strategy until 2031," Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter. "Today, we are among the top 10 tourist destinations in the world and our goal is to accelerate our competitiveness by attracting Dh100bn in additional tourism investments to this vital sector and receiving 40 million hotel guests in 2031." According to Sheikh Mohammed, tourism is integral to the UAE's economy. He emphasized that the new strategy will increase the tourism sector's contribution to GDP to Dh450 billion by 2031, increasing each year by Dh27bn. According to the government media office, the strategy includes 25 initiatives and policies to support the development of the country's tourism sector. It is based on strengthening the national tourism identity, developing and diversifying specialized products, developing capabilities, encouraging Emiratis to enter the sector, and increasing investments. In addition, the strategy will encourage investment in travel, aviation, and hospitality, create new investment opportunities and attract more international companies to the local market. This year has seen a return to high tourism numbers in the UAE, with a strong industry performance predicted at a September Cabinet meeting. Figures revealed that the tourism sector's revenue exceeded Dh19 billion in the first half of this year, and total hotel guest numbers in the same period reached 12 million, a 42 percent increase. BKM/ Expat Media
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