The Emirates is participating in"African tourism investment summit" South Africa
Cape Town on September 11/ WAM/ His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al -Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, yesterday, participated in a discussion session entitled “The Dialogue of Investors Leaders from the Group of 20 and the World Travel and Tourism Council – WTTC, which was held within the activities of the first edition of the” African Tourism Investment Summit Satis -2025 “held in South Africa.
The session was attended by a group of Arab and African tourism ministers, government officials and executives in the global tourism sector, as well as senior representatives of leading international tourism companies.
The session was based on enhancing opportunities for cooperation between the public and private sectors in the various tourism fields, and the common priorities in the development and development of tourism at the African and global levels, including digital innovation and sustainability and stimulating local and international investments, as well as exchanging visions on the mechanisms that must be followed to provide distinguished tourism experiences for visitors in various tourism areas on the continent.
His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq stressed that the UAE, thanks to its rational leadership directives, presented a unique model in developing its policies and tourism infrastructure according to the best global practices, as it was keen to adopt national initiatives and strategies to enhance the growth of the tourism sector and support its competitiveness regionally and globally, and pumping investments in various tourism fields, and building distinguished tourism projects in all emirates of the country, in addition to launching airports New, expanding the airline network in cooperation with its strategic partners around the world, enhancing internal movement networks, and providing high -quality tourism services, which contributed to the consolidation of the UAE’s position as a leading tourist destination on the map of global tourism.
He explained, during his participation in the session, that the UAE continues to enhance its presence in the African continent as a major development partner, by supporting sustainable tourism projects and establishing strategic partnerships that contribute to providing job opportunities, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing cultural, economic and tourism cooperation between continents, reflecting the state’s commitment to its regional and international development responsibilities.
He stated that the tourism sector in the African continent is one of the vital sectors that contribute greatly to the growth of the African economy, and the continent has rich and varied tourism ingredients such as coastal resorts, picturesque beaches, heritage, cultural and historical sites, as these ingredients provide many opportunities for investors and business leaders from the government and private sectors to enter African markets and invest in various fields and activities Tourist.
His Excellency added that investing in the tourism sector is not measured by its contribution to the gross domestic product only, but also to add to local communities by providing new job opportunities, developing national competencies, and enhancing sustainability practices, “stressing the importance of international cooperation, especially within the framework of the G20, to ensure the growth of global tourism in a more comprehensive and flexible way, and in a way that keeps pace with economic and political transformations at the regional and international levels.
He reviewed the most promising investment opportunities in the UAE in the tourism sector, including expansion projects in hotel infrastructure and tourist resorts, investment in environmental and sustainable tourism, especially in natural reserves, in addition to projects related to family entertainment, recreational gardens, and cultural centers.
He added that the UAE market provides strong potential to invest in the field of digital transformation of tourism through smart platforms and virtual experiences, as well as strengthening its position as a leading destination for tourism, conferences and international conferences (MICE), pointing out that the volume of tourism investments attracted by the state amounted to 28.8 billion dirhams during the year 2023, and increased to 32.2 billion dirhams during 2024, and expected To reach 35.2 billion dirhams during the year 2025, which reflects the state’s vision in an integrated and sustainable tourism development.
His Excellency called for benefiting from those opportunities provided by the Emirati tourist destinations and resorts, as well as the state’s flexible investment environment and advanced procedures and facilities that allow investors to establish business and launch various economic activities easily and easily, in order to enhance the UAE’s attractiveness as a global destination for investment and tourism.
He touched on the exceptional performance achieved by the tourism and travel sector in the Emirates during the year 2024, where its contribution increased to the state’s gross domestic product to reach 257.3 billion dirhams (70.1 billion dollars), which represents 13% of the national economy, and with an increase rate of 3.2% compared to 2023, and 26% compared to 2019 before the pandemic, which is among the highest rates in terms of tourism contribution to tourism Promoting economic growth regionally and globally, and with regard to the UAE’s efforts to enhance international relations at the level of tourism sectors.
His Excellency pointed out that the Ministry of Economy and Tourism signed 38 memoranda of understanding and three executive work programs to enhance international cooperation in the tourism sector with various prominent tourist markets regionally and globally, which focused on enhancing tourism exchange, attracting tourism investments, and exchanging experiences in the various tourism fields such as training, vocational education and tourism marketing.
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