Through its five editions, the campaign reached over 1.2 billion people globally, solidifying the UAE’s position as a leading global tourism destination

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi – February 07, 2025: The Ministry of Economy announced the conclusion of the fifth edition of the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign, which ran for six weeks from December 16, 2024, under the theme ‘Green Tourism’. The campaign was launched in collaboration between the Ministry of Economy, the National Agricultural Center, and local tourism authorities from across the UAE.

The campaign achieved remarkable success in promoting innovative tourism concepts that enhance diversity in the sector, in line with the national vision to develop an integrated tourism ecosystem based on global best practices. By encouraging green tourism, agritourism, and sustainable ecotourism, it contributed to fostering a dynamic tourism market, attracting investments and driving the sector’s growth.

Expanding the horizons of tourism

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, emphasized that the fifth edition of the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign, under the theme ‘Green Tourism,’ successfully unlocked new opportunities by promoting the UAE’s diverse destinations and unique experiences across all seven emirates. The campaign effectively spotlighted the country’s ecotourism attractions, lush landscapes, winter retreats, agritourism, nature reserves, and breathtaking scenery, attracting both local and international visitors. It also played a pivotal role in enhancing the UAE’s appeal as an FDI destination, driving the development of high-value tourism projects in line with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.

H.E. added: 'The success of this campaign reinforces the UAE’s long-term vision for tourism development by strengthening its global tourism competitiveness through diversified offerings and championing sustainability through ecotourism endeavors. Additionally, the campaign aligns with the ‘Plant the Emirates’ national programme, which aims to promote sustainable agriculture as an integral part of our community culture.'

Latest edition produces exceptional results

H.E. Bin Touq stated: “The fifth edition of the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign has achieved remarkable success across all seven emirates. During its course, hotel establishment revenues soared to approximately AED 1.9 billion, reflecting an impressive 86.9 per cent growth compared to that of the fourth edition. Additionally, the total number of hotel guests exceeded 4.4 million, marking a substantial 62 per cent growth, while hotel occupancy rates reached 74 per cent.”

H.E. continued: “This edition alone reached 224.7 million people globally, taking the campaign’s total global reach across all five editions to over 1.2 billion people. This milestone further strengthens the UAE’s position as a leading world-class tourism destination. Moreover, the campaign fostered deeper collaboration between tourism authorities and key industry stakeholders, amplifying diverse tourism experiences, pioneering projects, and unique attractions across the emirates. These efforts not only reinforce the UAE’s competitiveness on the global tourism map but also lay a strong foundation for the long-term sustainability and growth of the national tourism sector, solidifying the country’s unified tourism identity on the global stage.”

Competitive advantages

The fifth edition of the 'World’s Coolest Winter' campaign highlighted the vast diversity and major assets of green tourism across the UAE's emirates and regions. It promoted the competitiveness and appeal of natural, environmental, and agricultural destinations, boosting tourism activity among UAE citizens and residents while enhancing continuous growth in international tourist inflows. To that end, the campaign disseminated various media and marketing materials through different media outlets and social media channels, showcasing the unique experiences offered by UAE's green tourism, and featuring diverse natural environments - from mountains and beaches to desert landscapes, scenic views, reserves, and innovative farms - along with their distinctive tourism activities.

Moreover, the campaign spotlighted numerous innovative agricultural projects, particularly those initiated by young Emirati entrepreneurs who succeeded in growing plants and trees previously considered unsuitable to UAE's environment. Additionally, it showcased major agricultural projects supported by government entities or invested in by national institutions, utilizing advanced agricultural technology to establish sustainable farming practices. These include wheat cultivation, vertical farming, hydroponics, alongside the adoption of sustainability and conservation techniques in agriculture.

Besides, the latest edition of the campaign showcased the UAE's prominent natural landmarks and biodiversity-rich areas, including nature reserves, islands, mountain and desert environments, and beaches, highlighting their attractive tourism activities and unique experiences. It demonstrated the UAE's significant focus on increasing green spaces and promoting sustainable agriculture as an integrated community culture, alongside government initiatives and achievements in environmental protection and sustainability.

Tourism & aviation sectors witness continued growth

The UAE's civil aviation sector recorded an unprecedented performance in 2024, with passenger traffic rising 10 per cent to 147.8 million passengers, up from 134 million in 2023, strengthening the country's position as a leading global aviation destination.

Tourism sector also continues to demonstrate impressive growth, with hotel establishment revenues reaching AED 37.1 billion during January-October 2024, up 4 per cent compared to 2023. Hotel occupancy rates averaged 78 per cent over the first ten months of the year, a 2.7 per cent growth over the same period in 2023. Total hotel guests across the seven emirates reached about 24.9 million during January-October 2024, growing 9.5 per cent compared to 2023. Meanwhile, the total number of hotel establishments reached 1,246 by the end of October.