Travel and tourism sector set to contribute Dhs180.6bn to the UAE economy this year

Travel and tourism sector set to contribute Dhs180.6bn to the UAE economy this year

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals the UAE travel and tourism sector is projected to meet the 2019 peak this year. The sector is set to contribute Dhs180.6bn to the UAE economy by the end of 2023, almost matching the 2019 high Dhs183.4bn, only 1.5 per cent behind pre-pandemic levels. This represents nearly 10 per cent of the total economy. WTTC is also forecasting that the sector will create nearly 7,000 jobs this year, surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 745,100, to reach more than 758,000 employed by travel and tourism. Last year, the travel and tourism sector’s GDP contribution grew more than 60 per cent to reach nearly Dhs167bn, representing 9 per cent of the country’s economy. The sector also created more than 89,000 more jobs from the previous year to reach more than 751,000 jobs nationally, surpassing 2019 levels by an additional 6,000 jobs. 2022 saw the return of international travellers to the UAE, with India (13 per cent), Oman (8 per cent), Saudi Arabia (8 per cent), and UK (7 per cent) leading as source markets for international arrivals. According to the data, in 2022, international visitors contributed Dhs117.6bn to