World’s Coolest Winter campaign bolsters UAE’s position on global travel and tourism landscape: Bin Touq

DUBAI/ WAM

Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE Tourism Council, said that the fourth edition of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, scheduled to take place from 9th January to 20th February, 2024, aligns the National Tourism Strategy 2031 and bolsters the UAE’s prominent position on the global travel and tourism landscape.
The campaign aims to showcase the UAE’s unique tourism attractions and winter experiences, its rich cultural heritage, and enchanting natural landscapes, Bin Touq further explained.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, launched the fourth edition of the domestic tourism campaign, titled ‘World’s Coolest Winter 2024’, under the theme ‘Unforgettable Stories’. The initiative is part of the UAE’s domestic tourism strategy introduced by His Highness in December 2020, with the goal of developing an integrated domestic tourism landscape.
The latest edition of the campaign aims to boost domestic tourism and attract tourists from around the world to enjoy the winter in the UAE. It highlights the attractions that the country offers to visitors, including iconic entertainment options, cultural and natural landmarks, and diverse activities that make for memorable experiences.
The 4th edition of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign targets citizens, residents, and tourists in the UAE, as well as visitors from other countries. The new edition will involve the dissemination of numerous media and marketing content across various media platforms and social channels to promote its goals and effectively showcase the top winter tourism destinations in the country. It will also spotlight unique experiences, entertainment activities, and the best adventures across the seven emirates.
The last edition of the campaign showcased various tourism, natural, and entertainment attractions and experiences across the UAE. It yielded substantial economic benefits for domestic tourism, with hotel revenues reaching AED 1.8 billion, up 20 percent compared to the second edition of the campaign, which amounted to AED 1.5 billion.
Bin Touq confirmed that the UAE’s tourism sector continues to excel, thanks to the visionary leadership’s focus on its development. This vital sector is considered one of the strategic pillars for building the economy of the future and transitioning towards a new economic model.
The Minister of Economy said, “The revenue of hotel establishments in the UAE has surged to AED 32.2 billion from January to September 2023, marking a 27 percent growth compared to the same period in 2022. Additionally, the number of hotel guests in the seven emirates of the UAE reached 20.2 million during the first nine months of 2023, up 12 percent from the same period in 2022. Meanwhile, the hotel occupancy rate hit 75 percent in the first nine months of the previous year, reflecting a six percent year-over-year growth.”
He noted that these indicators play a crucial role in achieving the national target set by the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision to elevate the sector’s contribution to the UAE’s GDP to AED 450 billion by the next decade.