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Dubai is an important tourist destination in the United Arab Emirates, attracting a large number of visitors every year. The picture shows a view of Dubai Marina. Photo by Tarik Ibrahim, Middle East Center Branch of this newspaper

The latest report from the United Nations World Tourism Organization shows that the international tourism revenue of the United Arab Emirates reached 61 billion US dollars in 2022, ranking fourth in the world, highlighting the strong recovery trend of the country's tourism industry.

Since last year, the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates has continued to recover. Statistics show that Dubai attracted 14.36 million international tourists in 2022, an increase of 97% compared to 2021. In the first half of this year, the passenger throughput of various airports in the United Arab Emirates reached 62.79 million, a year-on-year increase of 46%. During the same period, the number of tourists to Dubai reached 8.55 million, a year-on-year increase of 20%, setting a new historical high; Emirates such as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah have also experienced double-digit growth in tourist arrivals.

The rapid recovery of the UAE tourism industry is attributed to long-term investments and innovative initiatives in this field. Statistics show that from 2018 to 2022, the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates ranked fifth globally in attracting foreign direct investment, accounting for 4.7% of the global total. 35% of the newly added tourism projects in the Middle East have settled in the United Arab Emirates.

Last year, the United Arab Emirates announced a plan called "Our UAE 2031", with the goal of doubling the UAE's gross domestic product to 3 trillion dirhams (approximately 0.5 dirhams per Chinese yuan) by 2031. Among them, tourism revenue increased to 450 billion dirhams, and the number of tourists doubled to 40 million. To achieve the development goals of the tourism industry, the United Arab Emirates has also launched the "National Tourism Strategy 2031", which aims to improve tourism infrastructure, enhance tourist experience, and create a more competitive tourism environment. According to the strategy, the United Arab Emirates has announced 25 policy measures focused on four areas: strengthening unified tourism signage; Develop diversified tourism products and enhance tourism service capabilities; Cultivate more talents in the tourism industry; Increase investment in the tourism industry. The UAE will invest 27 billion dirhams annually and hopes to attract 100 billion dirhams in investment.

The United Arab Emirates continues to introduce new tourism projects and upgrade tourism facilities. Recently, the Abu Dhabi Cultural and Tourism Authority launched a tourism marketing campaign called "Welcome to Abu Dhabi", involving over 150 cross-cultural and entertainment activities, lasting for 6 months. In November, the new terminal of Abu Dhabi International Airport was officially put into use. The terminal covers an area of approximately 740000 square meters and is designed to handle 45 million passengers annually.

While promoting the growth of the tourism industry, the UAE also pays attention to the sustainable development of the tourism industry. In July of this year, the Dubai Economic and Tourism Authority proposed sustainable development standards in 19 areas, including energy and water efficiency, waste management, and employee education. Outstanding hotels were commended and awarded the "Dubai Sustainable Tourism Seal". The relevant person in charge of Dubai Economic and Tourism Authority stated that this measure is part of realizing Dubai's development vision.

The UAE is also actively taking measures to attract more Chinese tourists. In August this year, the Dubai Economic and Tourism Bureau announced that it would upgrade its cooperation with Alipay. The taxis under the Road Traffic Management Bureau will be fully connected to Alipay payment. At the same time, it will upgrade the Dubai city page on the mobile Alipay application, and launch the official Dubai tourism video and Dubai taxi strategy. The Chinese tourism market is of great significance to Dubai, and Dubai will continue to be committed to warmly welcoming Chinese tourists through visa free policies and the 'Welcome China' program, "said Shahab Shayan, the head of the Dubai Economic and Tourism Authority

Some analysts believe that with events such as the Dubai International Air Show, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of the Formula One World Championship, and the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in the UAE, it is expected that the UAE will attract more tourists in the fourth quarter of this year. According to the UAE's National News, data analysis company Smith Travel Research stated that the occupancy rate of UAE hotels was 70% from January to August this year, and it is expected that the occupancy rate in the fourth quarter of this year will reach 90% to 100%.