Latest news with #HospitalityAdvisoryCouncil
Web Release
4 hours ago
- Business
- Web Release
Hospitality Advisory Council discusses new national initiatives to boost growth and employment opportunities in the sector
The Hospitality Advisory Council convened its second meeting of 2025 under the chairmanship of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council. The session brought together 16 Council members, including CEOs and senior executives from leading national and international hotel groups. Discussions focused on a range of new national initiatives developed in partnership with the private sector to accelerate the growth of the UAE's hospitality sector. The initiatives also aim to generate employment opportunities across all sectors of this vital industry. H.E. Bin Touq said: 'Thanks to the vision and guidance of our wise leadership, the UAE's tourism and hospitality sectors continue to thrive. In the first quarter of 2025, hotel revenues reached AED 13.5 billion, with over 8.4 million guests recorded, a two per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Total hotel nights reached 29.3 million, and the national hotel occupancy rate stood at 81.3 per cent during the same period.' H.E. added: 'These impressive figures reflect the UAE's strong commitment to advancing its hospitality industry in line with global best practices. We have invested heavily in developing hotel and entertainment infrastructure across all seven emirates, organizing major international events, and delivering exceptional hospitality experiences that reflect authentic Emirati heritage and culture. As a result, the UAE has become one of the world's leading hospitality destinations today.' The Minister of Economy continued: 'The year 2025 marks a major milestone for UAE tourism, marked by the election of Shaikha Al Nowais as the first woman globally to serve as Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization for the term 2026-2029. This achievement reinforces the UAE's prominent role in supporting international efforts to advance the global tourism industry.' The meeting's discussions covered a comprehensive array of key files and initiatives that support the UAE's efforts to enhance the growth and competitiveness of its hospitality sector. Participants emphasized the importance of promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors to meet the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to establish the UAE as the top global tourism brand by the next decade. The Council also reviewed the newly launched 'Summer Hospitality Camp' program by the Ministry of Economy. It is designed to support Emiratization across hospitality-related sectors by offering hands-on training to school and university students in real-world environments such as hotels and tourism facilities, in addition to its structured learning tracks. Established by the Emirates Tourism Council, the Hospitality Advisory Council serves as a strategic advisory body to the Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council on matters specific to the hospitality sector. It provides insights and data on industry developments, recommends private-sector initiatives to drive sector growth and reinforce the UAE's position as a leading global tourism destination, and offers feedback on government tourism policies and initiatives.
Mid East Info
13 hours ago
- Business
- Mid East Info
Hospitality Advisory Council discusses new national initiatives to boost growth and employment opportunities in the sector
Tourism and hospitality sectors see sustained growth as hotel occupancy rates reach 81.3% in Q1 2025 The Hospitality Advisory Council convened its second meeting of 2025 under the chairmanship of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council. The session brought together 16 Council members, including CEOs and senior executives from leading national and international hotel groups. Discussions focused on a range of new national initiatives developed in partnership with the private sector to accelerate the growth of the UAE's hospitality sector. The initiatives also aim to generate employment opportunities across all sectors of this vital industry. H.E. Bin Touq said: 'Thanks to the vision and guidance of our wise leadership, the UAE's tourism and hospitality sectors continue to thrive. In the first quarter of 2025, hotel revenues reached AED 13.5 billion, with over 8.4 million guests recorded, a two per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Total hotel nights reached 29.3 million, and the national hotel occupancy rate stood at 81.3 per cent during the same period.' H.E. added: 'These impressive figures reflect the UAE's strong commitment to advancing its hospitality industry in line with global best practices. We have invested heavily in developing hotel and entertainment infrastructure across all seven emirates, organizing major international events, and delivering exceptional hospitality experiences that reflect authentic Emirati heritage and culture. As a result, the UAE has become one of the world's leading hospitality destinations today.' The Minister of Economy continued: 'The year 2025 marks a major milestone for UAE tourism, marked by the election of Shaikha Al Nowais as the first woman globally to serve as Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization for the term 2026-2029. This achievement reinforces the UAE's prominent role in supporting international efforts to advance the global tourism industry.' The meeting's discussions covered a comprehensive array of key files and initiatives that support the UAE's efforts to enhance the growth and competitiveness of its hospitality sector. Participants emphasized the importance of promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors to meet the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to establish the UAE as the top global tourism brand by the next decade. The Council also reviewed the newly launched 'Summer Hospitality Camp' program by the Ministry of Economy. It is designed to support Emiratization across hospitality-related sectors by offering hands-on training to school and university students in real-world environments such as hotels and tourism facilities, in addition to its structured learning tracks. Established by the Emirates Tourism Council, the Hospitality Advisory Council serves as a strategic advisory body to the Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council on matters specific to the hospitality sector. It provides insights and data on industry developments, recommends private-sector initiatives to drive sector growth and reinforce the UAE's position as a leading global tourism destination, and offers feedback on government tourism policies and initiatives.
Zawya
19-02-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Hospitality Advisory Council holds its first meeting of 2025
H.E. Bin Touq highlights Council's key role in driving the sector's growth Abu Dhabi: The first meeting of the Hospitality Advisory Council, chaired by His Excellency Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the UAE Tourism Council, took place recently. The Council, which has 16 members including representatives of various national and international hospitality groups, discussed new approaches to advancing the growth of the UAE's hospitality sector this year. The meeting also explored the means to improve the sector's attractiveness to both local and international visitors, enhance local and foreign tourism investments, and implement targeted training programs to create job opportunities and upskill youth in this vital sector. H.E. Bin Touq highlighted the Council's key role in fostering hospitality sector growth in line with global best practices, thereby contributing to achieving the objectives outlined in the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. Its efforts include the introduction of diverse array of tourism initiatives and projects that will reinforce the UAE's position as a leading global tourism destination. During the meeting, H.E. said: "The UAE's hospitality sector is experiencing continued growth, as the total number of guests in our hotel establishments across the seven emirates reached around 24.9 million in the first ten months of 2024, indicating a 9.5 per cent growth. The total number of hotel nights amounted to 85 million during this period, reflecting an eight per cent growth compared to the same period in 2023. In addition, the total number of hotel establishments in the country reached 1,246 by the end of October 2024, with a two per cent growth. The meeting discussed various innovative tourism initiatives that the UAE could introduce as a special guest country at the G20 Summit 2025 taking place in South Africa. These will be designed to boost tourism sustainability, reduce carbon emissions, and localise the cutting-edge technology across the diverse sectors and activities within the sector. Additionally, the meeting explored marketing strategies to promote the "Major Tourism Pathways" project, which seeks to harmonise the travel experience throughout the seven emirates while also highlighting their cultural diversity, encouraging visitors to explore them. Furthermore, the Council meeting explored the possibility of introducing a new tourism training program called 'Summer Hospitality Camps,' aimed at boosting Emiratisation in the sector by engaging more youth. Its goal is to cultivate local workforce competencies and skills in the sector, offer practical training, and raise awareness on tourism's role in the country's national economic growth. This program will be available to students who are 16 years old and above. For further information, please contact: Orient Planet Group (OPG) Email: media@ Website:
