UAE’s Tourism Sector Expected to Create 833,000 Jobs by 2024’s End – VisaGuide.News

Popular United Arab Emirates destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah are attracting more visitors than ever, reflecting the country’s successful efforts to attract global tourists. Last year, the tourism sector grew by 26 percent, adding AED 220 billion to the UAE’s GDP.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in its Economic Impact Survey 2024, has revealed this figure represents 11.7 percent of the country’s economy and beats the 2019 record of 15 percent, VisaGuide.World reports.

Global tourism experts expect more robust growth in the UAE’s tourism this year. In this regard, they predict the GDP to hit AED 236 billion, adding over 23,500 jobs, bringing total jobs to 833,000. At the same time, international spending is set to rise by nearly ten percent to AED 192 billion and domestic spending by 4.3 percent to AED 58 billion.

By 2034, they see the GDP from tourism reaching AED 275 billion, which will be almost 11 percent of the UAE’s economy. The sector could employ over 928,000 people, meaning one in nine residents could work in tourism.

The remarkable growth in both employment and visitor spending is a testament to the UAE’s strategic vision and commitment to enhancing its Travel & Tourism. As the sector continues to set benchmarks for the global travel industry, it underscores the importance of sustainable and inclusive strategies in driving prosperity.

UAE Tourism Sector Adds 41,000 Jobs, Dominates Job Market

According to the WTTC report, the UAE tourism sector also boosted job numbers, creating 41,000 new jobs and supporting over 809,000 jobs. This means one in nine jobs in the UAE is now in tourism.

Data provided by the same source further shows that since 2019, jobs have increased by 11 percent. In addition, domestic visitor spending fully recovered in 2022 and grew further last year to AED 55.5 billion, up almost 40 percent from 2019.

Internationally, visitor spending jumped by nearly 40 percent in 2023 to AED 175 billion, 12 percent more than in 2019, showing the UAE’s strong appeal as a top global tourist destination.

In 2023, the Middle East’s tourism grew by 25 percent, hitting $460 billion, while jobs rose to 7.75 million, and international spending jumped by 50 percent to $179.8 billion. Domestic spending was up by 16.5 percent to $205 billion.

Abu Dhabi Flight Bookings Surge by 59% for Q2 2024

For 2024, the WTTC expects the region’s tourism to keep growing. They predict a GDP of $507 billion, 8.3 million jobs, $198 billion in international spending, and over $224 billion in domestic spending.

ForwardKeys, a partner of the global tourism body, noted that international arrivals to Abu Dhabi and Dubai grew by over nine percent from 2019 to last year. Flight bookings show Abu Dhabi growing by 59 percent for Q2 2024 and Dubai by 13 percent compared to the previous year.