The UAE’s travel and tourism industry is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year, as per the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research.
The sector is predicted to contribute AED 180.6 billion ($49 billion) to UAE’s economy by this year’s end, which is only 1.5% less than the high of AED 183.4 billion ($50 billion) in 2019 just before the pandemic. This sector contributes nearly 10% to the total GDP.
According to WTTC, the travel and tourism sector is projected to create approximately 7,000 new jobs this year, reaching a total workforce of 758,000 and surpassing the pre-pandemic peak of 745,100.
In 2022, the sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP experienced a remarkable growth of over 60% and reached nearly AED 167 billion, making up around 9% of the overall economy.
The sector also produced over 89,000 more jobs compared to 2021, resulting in a national employment figure of over 751,000 jobs. This surpassed the job levels observed in 2019 by an additional 6,000 positions.
Last year, UAE experienced a resurgence in international tourism, with visitors from countries such as India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UK leading the way. These states accounted for the highest percentage of international arrivals, with India at 13%, Oman and Saudi Arabia at 8% each, and the UK at 7%.
