The UAE tourism sector generated lodge revenues of roughly AED44.4bn ($12.1bn) between January and November 2025, underlining its position as a key driver of sustainable financial progress and worldwide competitiveness.
The efficiency was highlighted on the Worldwide Tourism Truthful – FITUR Madrid 2026, the place senior UAE officers showcased the nation’s tourism achievements, international partnerships and long-term progress technique.
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Financial system and Tourism and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, participated in FITUR Madrid 2026, held from 21 to 25 January at IFEMA in Spain.
The exhibition goals to strengthen worldwide tourism partnerships with key regional and international markets, reinforce the presence of the UAE’s tourism identification and merchandise internationally, change experience on sustainable tourism insurance policies and improve vacationer locations.
UAE–Spain relations
Al Marri mentioned the UAE and the Kingdom of Spain take pleasure in robust and strategic financial relations, reflecting a shared imaginative and prescient to broaden cooperation and broaden joint partnerships throughout financial, funding and tourism sectors.
He famous that tourism represents a key pillar in strengthening bilateral relations by creating new alternatives for joint funding, enhancing cultural change and tourism experience, and driving financial cooperation in the direction of broader horizons, whereas supporting sustainable progress in each international locations.
Al Marri mentioned the UAE tourism sector represents a basic pillar and key driver of sustainable improvement, contributing successfully to the nationwide economic system’s gross home product.
Guided by the imaginative and prescient of the nation’s management, he added, the UAE has consolidated its place as a number one international tourism vacation spot, attracting hundreds of thousands of holiday makers yearly and providing various tourism experiences supported by superior infrastructure, growth-supportive insurance policies and modern initiatives which have enhanced competitiveness regionally and globally.
UAE tourism milestones
Reviewing key achievements in 2025, Al Marri highlighted a number of regional and worldwide milestones, together with the election of Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais as Secretary-Basic of UN Tourism for the 2026–2029 time period.
He additionally pointed to the number of Masfout as Greatest Tourism Village within the World for 2025, in addition to the designation of Al Ain as Capital of Arab Tourism for 2026, following its choice as Gulf Tourism Capital for 2025.
Based on Al Marri, these achievements replicate the UAE’s distinguished standing within the tourism sector and its continued efforts to reinforce competitiveness and develop sustainable tourism locations at each regional and international ranges.
Presenting tourism efficiency indicators for January to November 2025, Al Marri mentioned lodge revenues reached roughly AED44.4bn ($12.1bn), representing progress of 8.8 per cent in comparison with the identical interval in 2024, pushed by a rise within the common each day price.
The variety of lodge visitors rose to round 29.1m, recording progress of 5.2 per cent, whereas lodge visitor nights exceeded 99.4m, up 6 per cent in comparison with the identical interval in 2024.
Sustainable tourism
Al Marri mentioned the exhibition serves as a number one international platform for exchanging finest practices associated to tourism sustainability and for growing modern initiatives and options that improve the sector’s potential to handle challenges and obtain long-term financial and social improvement.
Throughout his go to to the Abu Dhabi and Dubai pavilions, he underlined the energy and competitiveness of UAE tourism services and their position in delivering excellent customer experiences that meet the expectations of vacationers from around the globe.
He additionally pressured the significance of strengthening the presence of nationwide tourism corporations at worldwide exhibitions and occasions.
