emirates7 - During a European tour that included visits to Spain and Croatia, UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri held meetings with Tonči Glavina, Croatia’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Rosario Sánchez Grau, Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism, to explore ways of strengthening cooperation in the tourism sector. The discussions focused on exchanging best practices and recent developments in sustainable tourism.
Bin Touq emphasized the UAE’s commitment to deepening its collaboration with European markets and forging robust partnerships across various tourism-related fields to drive economic growth and foster mutual prosperity.
He highlighted the significant progress made by the UAE’s tourism sector, marked by the launch of forward-looking national initiatives, the development of world-class tourism infrastructure, and the creation of top-tier destinations and experiences—all contributing to increased visitor numbers.
"The UAE remains dedicated to supporting global tourism growth through collaborative initiatives, including those with UN Tourism and its member states, and by expanding cooperation across diverse tourism segments," Bin Touq stated.
In his meetings with the Spanish and Croatian tourism ministers, Bin Touq underscored the importance of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which is key to enhancing the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the nation’s tourism industry. The strategy aims to position the UAE as a premier global tourism hub, raise the sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attract AED 100 billion in tourism investments, and welcome 40 million visitors by 2031.
He also presented recent performance metrics of the UAE’s tourism sector, noting hotel revenues of AED 45 billion in 2024, reflecting a 3% year-on-year increase. The country recorded a hotel occupancy rate of 78%, one of the highest both regionally and globally, and saw the opening of 16 new hotels, bringing the total to 1,251 by the end of 2024.
During discussions with Spain’s Rosario Sánchez Grau, Bin Touq reviewed current trends in global tourism, approaches to sustainable sector growth, and avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation. The two parties discussed establishing new partnerships to boost tourism flows between the UAE and Spain. In 2024, the number of Spanish tourists visiting the UAE reached 150,231—up more than 14% from 2023. There are around 48 weekly flights connecting the two countries, operated by carriers from both sides.
In his meeting with Croatia’s Tonči Glavina, Bin Touq explored enhancing collaboration between tourism businesses and institutions in both countries and developing joint tourism and leisure initiatives to promote travel in both directions. Presently, over 42 monthly flights connect the UAE and Croatia, operated by airlines from each country.
Bin Touq emphasized the UAE’s commitment to deepening its collaboration with European markets and forging robust partnerships across various tourism-related fields to drive economic growth and foster mutual prosperity.
He highlighted the significant progress made by the UAE’s tourism sector, marked by the launch of forward-looking national initiatives, the development of world-class tourism infrastructure, and the creation of top-tier destinations and experiences—all contributing to increased visitor numbers.
"The UAE remains dedicated to supporting global tourism growth through collaborative initiatives, including those with UN Tourism and its member states, and by expanding cooperation across diverse tourism segments," Bin Touq stated.
In his meetings with the Spanish and Croatian tourism ministers, Bin Touq underscored the importance of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which is key to enhancing the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the nation’s tourism industry. The strategy aims to position the UAE as a premier global tourism hub, raise the sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attract AED 100 billion in tourism investments, and welcome 40 million visitors by 2031.
He also presented recent performance metrics of the UAE’s tourism sector, noting hotel revenues of AED 45 billion in 2024, reflecting a 3% year-on-year increase. The country recorded a hotel occupancy rate of 78%, one of the highest both regionally and globally, and saw the opening of 16 new hotels, bringing the total to 1,251 by the end of 2024.
During discussions with Spain’s Rosario Sánchez Grau, Bin Touq reviewed current trends in global tourism, approaches to sustainable sector growth, and avenues for deepening bilateral cooperation. The two parties discussed establishing new partnerships to boost tourism flows between the UAE and Spain. In 2024, the number of Spanish tourists visiting the UAE reached 150,231—up more than 14% from 2023. There are around 48 weekly flights connecting the two countries, operated by carriers from both sides.
In his meeting with Croatia’s Tonči Glavina, Bin Touq explored enhancing collaboration between tourism businesses and institutions in both countries and developing joint tourism and leisure initiatives to promote travel in both directions. Presently, over 42 monthly flights connect the UAE and Croatia, operated by airlines from each country.