UAE’s Emirates Tourism Council convened its fourth meeting of 2025 under the chairmanship of Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.
Heads and directors general of local tourism entities attended the meeting alongside representatives from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre.
The Council reviewed tourism projects scheduled for implementation in 2026 to enhance the sector’s growth and competitiveness. Participants followed up on recommendations and outcomes from the previous meeting.
World’s coolest Winter campaign set for December 2025 launch
Bin Touq said the UAE has placed focus on developing the tourism sector as a pillar of national economic growth. He said the country has implemented policies, strategies and projects in the sector, offering tourism experiences for visitors from around the world.
He added that the Councilโs new tourism projects and initiatives represent a significant milestone in enhancing the growth and competitiveness of the tourism sector. They support the national efforts to highlight the diversity of tourism, develop comprehensive tourism offerings, and establish a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure for tourism data in the UAE, in line with international best practices.
The initiatives contribute to strengthening the UAE’s position as a tourism destination and building a tourism sector, in alignment with the objectives of the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision.
The Council discussed the completion of the “Tourism Data Update” project in collaboration with federal and local entities. The project aims to establish a national platform for tourism data, ensuring accuracy and transparency in measuring performance indicators. The platform will facilitate sharing of data among entities.
The meeting reviewed tourism projects that the Council plans to implement over the next year, highlighting their role in supporting the objectives of the “National Tourism Strategy 2031.”
UAE Tourism Council plans projects under National Tourism Strategy 2031
The projects focus on developing and diversifying tourism offerings across all emirates, advancing the sector’s digital transformation through solutions and technologies, and integrating sustainability across activities and services. The initiative aims to enhance the quality of the visitor experience and strengthen the competitiveness of the UAE’s tourism sector.
The Council reviewed preparations for the launch of the sixth edition of the “World’s Coolest Winter” campaign. Discussions focused on opportunities for collaboration with influencers and digital platforms to elevate the profile of the UAE’s tourism destinations and attractions, highlighting their natural and cultural diversity as well as tourism experiences.
The Council explored strategies to expand the campaign’s reach to an international audience through marketing initiatives and digital communication tools.
The edition of the campaign is scheduled to launch in December 2025, coinciding with the winter season, one of the country’s tourism periods.
The fifth campaign generated hotel revenues exceeding AED1.9 billion and showcased more than 290 tourist destinations across the UAE. These achievements have established the campaign as a model of collaboration among federal and local entities and the private sector.
The Council explored means to bolster cooperation between the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman in the areas of tourism and heritage. It emphasised the importance of facilitating the movement of visitors and tourists between the two countries, as well as expanding cooperation in tourism investment, innovation, training, and capacity building.
The discussions emphasised promoting sustainability practices across tourism projects and destinations, reflecting the ties between the two countries and their commitment to developing the sector.
