The UAE’s travel and tourism sector is forecast to maintain its rapid growth this year.

According to a recent report, the sector is projected to contribute over AED236 billion ($64.25 billion) to the country's GDP in 2024, surpassing the AED220 billion ($59.9 billion) recorded last year.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) showed that the sector will see an increase of over 23,500 jobs, reaching nearly 833,000.

International visitor spending is predicted to grow by nearly 10%, reaching AED192 billion, while domestic visitor spending is expected to rise by 4.3% to hit almost AED58 billion.

Furthermore, the EIR indicates that the Travel and Tourism sector in the UAE had a record-breaking year, achieving new highs in important metrics like GDP contribution, employment, and visitor expenditure, Economy Middle East reports.

Last year, the sector witnessed an impressive growth rate of 26%, adding a record AED220 billion to the UAE’s GDP, representing 11.7% of the entire economy.

This exceeds the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 15%, highlighting the sector’s vital role in the nation’s economic structure.

In addition, employment in the Travel and Tourism sector grew by 41,000, exceeding 809,000 jobs, accounting for one in nine jobs in the country.

After the recovery of jobs lost during the pandemic in 2022, these findings show an 11% increase in sector employment since the peak in 2019.

Although domestic visitor spending fully rebounded in 2022, it continued to increase in the subsequent year, surpassing AED55.5 billion, a rise of nearly 40% compared to 2019.

Similarly, international visitor spending surged by almost 40% in 2023, exceeding AED175 billion, highlighting the UAE's enduring appeal as a premier global tourism destination.

WTTC additionally predicts that Travel and Tourism across the region will keep growing in 2024, with the GDP contribution projected to hit $507 billion.

Employment is expected to reach 8.3 million, international visitor spending is forecast to reach $198 billion, and domestic visitor spending is anticipated to exceed $224 billion.