H.E. Bin Touq meets with Italian Minister of Tourism and President/CEO of World Travel & Tourism Council to strengthen cooperation in the sector

Meetings held on the sidelines of Arabian Travel Market 2024 in Dubai

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Head of the Emirates Tourism Council, held meetings with H.E. Daniela Santanchè, Italian Minister of Tourism, and Julia Simpson, President and CEO at World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), to strengthen prospects for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector. The meeting took place on the sidelines of their participation in the 31^st edition of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2024), being held in Dubai from May 6 to 9.

During the meetings, H.E. Bin Touq expressed the UAE’s desire to strengthen cooperation with various global partners in tourism and related sectors, exchange best practices, and build partnership with international tourism organisations. These efforts aim to enhance the growth and sustainability of the national economy and support its competitiveness at regional and global levels, and to consolidate the UAE’s position in the global tourism landscape.

H.E. elaborated on the UAE’s efforts in developing tourism, including the adoption of relevant policies and strategies, most notably the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. H.E. highlighted the vital role of this strategy in supporting the sustainability and competitiveness of UAE tourism by the next decade. The strategy has set a number of a national goals, including the strengthening of the UAE’s position as one of the best global tourism destinations, raising the sector’s contribution to the GDP to AED 450 billion. Besides, it aims to attract AED 100 billion as additional tourism investments and attract 40 million hotel guests to the country in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.

H.E. Bin Touq’s meeting with the Italian minister explored ways to strengthen tourism cooperation between the UAE and Italy, leveraging their existing economic partnership. The discussions focused on creating new investment opportunities in hospitality, aviation, and travel for the private sector. Additionally, the meeting explored the development of innovative tourism and recreational initiatives to stimulate tourism flows between the two countries.

Furthermore, the Minister of Economy noted that the UAE-Italian relations are witnessing continued growth in various tourism activities and sectors. H.E. highlighted that during the period from January to August 2023, the UAE welcomed approximately 210,000 Italian visitors. This number totalled 265,000 in 2022. With regard to the air traffic between the two nations, there are over 300 flights operating between the two destinations every month.

The two parties discussed the significance of strengthening cooperation in launching marketing campaigns promoting prominent destinations and attractions in both countries. Additionally, they emphasized the importance of exchanging expertise and experiences on policies that support sustainable tourism growth. The ministers also reiterated their commitment to continue building on the progress achieved in tourism cooperation in recent years.

During his meeting with the President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council, H.E. Bin Touq was apprised of latest developments in the tourism sector globally, modern trends to enhance the sector’s growth and strengthen its contribution to the global GDP. The meeting acknowledged the importance of exchanging expertise and information on sustainable tourism policies.

H.E. Bin Touq emphasized the UAE’s role as a major player in the tourism sector at both regional and global levels, highlighting the country’s advanced infrastructure in tourism and aviation sectors in addition to the unique facilities and features it offers to tourists from around the world. Furthermore, H.E. shed light on the UAE’s commitment to furthering its efforts in developing and enhancing tourism in line with the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision and the ‘UAE Centennial Plan 2071.’

Both parties underscored the significance of strengthening cooperation to effectively capitalize on emerging opportunities in the sector and leverage them to achieve mutual benefits. They also discussed the importance of addressing challenges facing the sector by harnessing modern technological means such as artificial intelligence. The importance of capacity-building for tourism sector employees was also acknowledged.