UAE tourism to recover in 2023

The 2023 Economic Impact Study (EIR) of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals United Arab Emirates Tourism is expected to reach its 2019 peak this year.

The sector will contribute AED180.6 billion to the UAE economy by the end of 2023, almost on par with AED183.4 billion in 2019 and just 1.5% below pre-pandemic levels. This accounts for nearly 10% of the total economy.

The WTTC also predicts that the industry will create nearly 7,000 jobs this year, surpassing its pre-pandemic peak of 745,100 and reaching Travel & Tourism employment of more than 758,000.

The sector’s GDP contribution grows by more than 60% to nearly AED167 billion by 2022, accounting for 9% of the country’s economy. It created more than 89,000 jobs, surpassing 2019 levels and adding 6,000 jobs.

In addition, international tourists will return to the UAE in 2022, with India (13%), Oman (8%), Saudi Arabia (8%) and the United Kingdom (7%) becoming the main source markets for international tourists. International tourists contributed AED117.6 billion, 10.6 percent higher than before the pandemic.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, said in a statement: “The country’s tourism industry is recovering rapidly, which is a testament to the continued rise of the UAE’s popularity among international tourists. The UAE has the world’s busiest, most One of the successful airports is Dubai International Airport, which is the gateway to the Middle East.”

She added: “The future of the industry looks promising. By the end of the year, the industry’s contribution will be on par with 2019, and over the next decade, growth will outpace national GDP and create more than 114,000 new jobs, accounting for 1 in 9 jobs. Our most recent city EIR report highlights that attractive tourist destinations such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi continue to attract international tourists. These cities have shown an incredible Resilience and strong leadership.”

Over the next ten years, Sightseeing More than 872,000 people will be employed nationwide, accounting for nearly 12 percent of all jobs.

The global tourism body predicts that the sector’s GDP contribution will grow to AED235.5 billion by 2033, accounting for 10.2 percent of the UAE’s economy.

Middle East tourism will contribute more than AED1.2 trillion to the regional economy in 2022, 25.3% below its peak in 2019. By the end of the year, WTTC forecasts the sector’s GDP contribution in the region to exceed AED1.5 trillion (US$413.2 billion), within striking distance of the 2019 high.

The WTTC’s latest economic impact report shows that the industry will employ more than 6.8 million people in the region in 2022, up 865,000 from 2021 but still 8.7% below its 2019 peak. By the end of the year, the industry will have regained almost all the jobs lost during the pandemic, just 2% below pre-pandemic levels.

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