The Ministry of Economy organized a dialogue session at the Arabian Travel Market 2024 exhibition in Dubai, focusing on initiatives for developing tourism in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The event was attended by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, along with representatives from the tourism sector in the GCC countries. Discussions centered on the importance of creating a growth strategy for the Gulf tourism sector to enhance its role in the region’s economies. One key topic was the activation of the unified tourist visa to facilitate travel between GCC countries.
The session, held in collaboration with the REED Company during the Arabian Travel Market 2024, focused on empowering innovation and developing the travel sector through entrepreneurship. Industry leaders and experts from the regional and global travel and tourism sectors participated in the event. Bin Touq emphasized the growth of the tourism sector in the UAE and its significant contribution to the country’s economy. He highlighted the upcoming unified Gulf tourist visa project, approved during the 44th Gulf Summit, as a step towards enhancing regional tourism cooperation.
Discussions at the session covered various topics related to developing the tourism sector in GCC countries, exploring opportunities arising from the unified Gulf visa. The session also addressed the role of educational institutions in preparing professionals for the tourism industry and ways to enhance cooperation between GCC countries to enrich the tourism experience for visitors. The aim is to promote tourism destinations in each country and coordinate marketing campaigns for Gulf tourist areas to boost the sector’s growth.
In terms of tourism statistics, the tourism sector in the GCC countries made a significant contribution to the region’s GDP in 2021. The sector attracted international tourists, creating employment opportunities and leading to the growth of hotel establishments across the GCC. The countries aim to increase tourism spending and achieve higher targets by 2030. Overall, the dialogue session highlighted the importance of collaboration and joint efforts in developing the tourism sector in the GCC countries for sustainable growth and economic integration in the region.