Travel and Tourism sector to Create 54,500 new Jobs in Dubai

The travel and tour sector is estimated to create new jobs as many as 54,500 in the next eight years in Dubai as it continues to play a vital role in the United Arab Emirates’ economy.The surge in travel and tourism sector employment is mainly due to a number of factors, especially in new retail, leisure and entertainment offerings, as well as medical tourism.

Overall, 77,400 new jobs will come up in travel and tourism sector across the UAE.It means the number of people working in travel and tourism (T&T) sector will increase from 317,300 in 2016 to 394,700 by 2026 in the UAE, according to World Travel and Tourism Council report.

In Dubai, the number of residents working in T&T is projected to increase from 169,100 in 2016 to 223,600 by 2026, creating 54,500 new jobs in the emirate over the next eight years.This means around 12.2 percent of people in Dubai will be working in tourism by 2026 as against 10.8 percent in 2016, according to the report.

Hamad Buamim, president and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry cited Expo 2020, expansion of the emirate’s retail, attractions, leisure and entertainment offerings, new mega projects, and further development of Al Maktoum International Airport as main drivers of the sector which in turn will fuel the expected growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

In addition, Buamim believes medical tourism, and meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (Mice) will strengthen Dubai’s reputation as one of the world’s most sought-after tourism destinations.Buamim also cited the fact that Dubai has already made considerable headway in reaching its 2020 tourism goal as the emirate welcomed a record 15.8 million international visitors in 2017.

This, he said, has been supported by the rising number of visitors in recent years from key markets such as India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Russia and China, as well as progress in diversifying source markets.“I expect this growth trend to continue as UAE-based airlines expand their reach to new destinations and boost Dubai’s global profile,” Buamim said.

A report forecast stated that the T&T sector’s contribution into the emirate’s GDP will increase from $11.4 billion, or 9.4 percent, in 2016 to $20.9 billion, or 10.6 percent, by 2026. Dubai currently commands 60.9 percent share of UAE’s tourism GDP.According to WTTC, Dubai witnessed the second highest international spend of city travel and tourism of 87.6 percent in 2016 among the regional cities.