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The success of UAE’s economic diversification plan largely depends on how the non-oil sector performs. While it has been predicted that oil will contribute to merely 36% of the country’s GDP, the expanding economic footprint of tourism and hospitality sector is a happening reality. The UAE is investing heavily in the tourism sector. This capital investment is expected to grow by 5.1 percent every year over the next decade. The current contribution of tourism industry to GDP is 4percent. By 2020, this is set to double. The Dubai Expo 2020 targets to beckon 45 million tourists. For this, infrastructure is being developed and hotel construction is getting a huge impetus.
Increasing the revenues raked in by the tourism sector is not the only focus of the policymakers today. They are also recognizing its potential to generate huge employment. The sector is expected to create 1.8percent or 5,250 new jobs in the next five years, indicates the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index.
While massive thrust is given to the sector, it is extremely important that the plans that are rolled out keep in mind their sustainability. Here comes the importance of green initiatives. Only when the hospitality industry reduces its carbon footprint will it succeed in the true sense.
From a hotel’s construction to its room occupancy, eco-friendly measures should be adopted. All hotels should be encouraged to become environmentally conscious and be active in carrying out methods that protect the environment. The Aloft Hotel at ADNEC is using solar power to heat water in its 400-room property. Some time back, National Geographic recognized Dubai’s Al Maha Desert Resort &Spa for adopting ways to use recycled water through special irrigation system.
Besides, tourism projects that UAE is undertaking should follow the eco-tourism mantra: Take nothing but photographs; Leave nothing but footprints; Kill nothing but time. Whether it is a marine biosphere reserve or an Oryx gazelle conservation programme, the tourists should be made aware that fun shouldn’t come at the cost of ecological destruction.
Apart from conventional tourism, the UAE should also fully tap the potential of halal tourism. Worldwide, the segment will cross $230 billion by 2020. With its customized options for the Muslim travelers, the country could be turned into a halal destination’.
Another area that has hugely pushed the UAE on the international map is medical tourism, in which it has made huge strides. Today, Dubai is the hub of cosmetic surgery. People from across the world are making a beeline in Abu Dhabi’s Wellness centres. By 2020, Dubai alone will have over one million medical tourists.
The UAE’s strategic location and its conducive environment has made it an ideal place to host important international conferences and meetings. This, in turn, has added to the earnings made through the visits of delegations.
The UAE is seen as a modern city, with Ferrari World and Yas Island being the much-sought-after places. Even as the country presents its modern face to the tourists, it should continue promoting its rich culture and heritage. The Louvre Abu Dhabi in Saadiyat Cultural District and Zayed National Museum offer a window into the country’s glorious past. More such centres that give an insight into the art and culture of UAE to the tourists should be opened.
Tourism plans that take a futuristic view and put sustainability at the top will yield the desired results. The UAE is taking the right steps. And sky is the limit for it!