Tourism is an engine for economic and social growth

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, affirmed that tourism is an essential engine for both economic and social growth, and we have worked in the past years to develop and strengthen the tourism infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, to keep pace with the strategic plans based on the knowledge economy. Work to develop the workforce and encourage more human resources to engage in this field.

World Tourism Day celebration

This year, the world celebrates World Tourism Day, under the title “Tourism and rural life“, considering that tourism provides cohesion, social, economic and social growth inclusion for the most vulnerable areas. However, this year, we faced a greater challenge than activating remote areas for tourism.

Exceptional challenges for economic and social growth

He added that the COVID-19 pandemic cast a shadow over the tourism sector, which during the past period faced exceptional challenges that required us to confront them and find innovative solutions that promote the tourism sector, while preserving the public health and safety of the Abu Dhabi community.

UAE initiatives economic and social growth

At the same time, it was an opportunity to develop many initiatives and programs that revolve around the rich cultural heritage in the emirate, in which a wide range of specialists from different generations work, in addition to a group of exceptional tourist destinations, which closed their doors to the public, according to the precautionary measures that were followed, in order to preserve the safety of society, the alternative was to go to digital media, to maintain social cohesion in a difficult time.

Abu Dhabi hosts international events amid the pressing health crisis

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak said that Abu Dhabi succeeded in providing a preventive model that should be emulated internationally, and it was one of the first cities to host international events amid the pressing health crisis, by adopting the concept of “safe zone”, which enabled the establishment of the activities of “The Nazzal Island” from UFC. For mixed fighting tournaments, which is fast becoming a global role model for holding events without any injury.

He said that we are currently working, in cooperation with relevant government agencies and our partners in the private sector, to launch a set of initiatives to support the tourism sector, by enhancing consumer confidence in the tourism services and destinations provided by the emirate, and establishing its position as a safe destination, in light of the current circumstances, with the participation of all spectrum of society.

Today, as the emirate is on the verge of fully opening its doors to visitors, we are intensifying efforts to secure an environment free of the consequences of COVID-19, and we give visitors a unique experience while preserving their health and safety in the first place.

Tourism Sector Responsiveness

For his part, Saud Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said that World Tourism Day comes this year, and the sector faces challenges that it has not seen before. The biggest challenge for us was to support and revitalize the tourism sector in the emirate, while preserving the health and safety of residents and visitors, in light of the global health crisis.

Abu Dhabi, in this context, won international praise for its rapid response and tireless efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, which was translated With a series of initiatives that we launched, which resulted in tangible positive results, it enhanced consumer confidence in tourist and commercial destinations and establishments, and was positively reflected on the sector indicators in the emirate.

Department of Culture and Tourism commitment

He explained that this success is due to the close cooperation that brought together the government and private sectors, and the commitment of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi partners, who work in the tourism sector, to comply with all the instructions and precautionary measures imposed by the Abu Dhabi government, and the initiatives launched by the department.

UAE reopened to visitors again

With the doors of the emirate open to visitors again, efforts must be redoubled, to ensure the health and safety of everyone, and to consolidate the status of the capital as a safe destination, bearing in mind that we involve all groups of society in this, including those working in the creative and cultural industries and traditional crafts, as they form their practices are an attractive element to different segments of tourists, and at the same time, they provide a kind of sustainability for the continuation of creative businesses.