Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council showed that visitors spending on recreational and business tourism together will reach 204 billion dirhams this year.

According to the data, which Emirates Today obtained, a copy of it is expected that leisure tourism spending will reach 158.7 billion dirhams this year, with a growth of 9.2% compared to the previous year, compared to 45.3 billion dirhams for business tourism, a growth of 3.6%.

Managers and workers in the tourism and travel sector told «Emirates Today» that the continuous growth in spending on leisure and business tourism is in line with the increase in the flow of tourists.

Visitor spending

In detail, data from the World Travel and Tourism Council showed that visitors spending on recreational and business tourism together will reach 204 billion dirhams this year, including 158.7 billion dirhams for recreational tourism and 45.3 billion dirhams for business tourism.

The council’s data expected that leisure tourism spending will grow by 9.22% compared to last year.

The data showed that the leisure tourism sector is recording strong growth rates in terms of spending, during the past 10 years, to rise from 58.1 billion dirhams in 2009 to 145.3 billion by the end of 2019, with the continuous growth in the number of visitors coming to the UAE market.

Business tourism

In addition, the data of the council expected that the spending of visitors who visit the UAE for the purpose of business tourism will reach 45.3 billion dirhams during the current year, with a growth rate of 3.66% compared to the previous year.

The council data showed that the business tourism sector has continued to record strong growth rates in terms of spending, during the past 10 years, increasing from 17 billion dirhams in 2009 to 43.7 billion at the end of 2019.

Continuous growth

For his part, Said Al-Abedi, Chairman of the “Al-Abedi” Company for Tourism and Travel, said that “the continuous growth in the rates of spending on leisure and business tourism reflects the increase in the flow of tourists and visitors to the local market.” Economic, which plays a prominent role in the economic diversification strategy pursued by the state for many years.

Al-Abdi indicated that «the UAE occupies a prominent position today on the map of tourist destinations in the world, which is an important center for holding international conferences and events throughout the year», noting that «the infrastructure provided by the country, along with tourist attractions, contributes to increasing growth rates for years Next, it makes it the most prominent destination for various tourism activities.

He noted that «the great competitiveness of the tourism sector in the UAE market, in terms of the volume of investments it attracts annually, in addition to providing more facilities for travel visas, as well as the ease of air connectivity, and its embrace of prominent tourist attractions, will contribute to the sustainability of growth».

Emirati market

To that, the general manager of "Al Badi Travel Group", Mohamed Al-Sawy, said that "the UAE market continues to open more facilities and tourist attractions, which is directly reflected in the increase in visitor spending, whether they are for entertainment and shopping or to attend events and conferences." He pointed out that "the increase in the rate of visitor flow annually, also plays a similar role."

For his part, Wael Al-Bahi, the general manager of the Ramada Jumeirah Hotel, said, "The figures and statistics of the tourism and travel sector are a reflection of the great growth and expansion in the past years."

Al-Bahi said that “the increase in the number of recreational parks and the transformation of the Emirates into a tourist destination for families, played a prominent role in increasing spending rates.” He pointed out that “despite the entry of thousands of new hotel rooms to service in the local market, the occupancy rates are still strong with continued growth in Visitor numbers.

He pointed out that "the future indicators remain positive in light of the facilities and promotional plans aimed at enhancing and increasing the contribution of the tourism sector to the country's GDP," noting that "the growth will register greater rates than usual during the current and next two years, with the hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai."

Local market

The Director General of Al-Badi Travel Group, Mohamed Al-Sawy said, “The tourism and travel sector is witnessing great expansions in the local market at various levels, including hotel establishments and tourist destinations, in addition to the expansions made by airlines, and the transformation of the country's airports into air centers. International linking the East to the West, "indicating that" the diversity of the tourism product in the local market contributes to attracting many segments of visitors. "

Expectations for entertainment tourism spending to grow by 9.22% this year.