Mubasher: The UAE’s travel and tourism sector will provide over 18,000 new jobs in 2017, ArabianBusiness.com reported.
Direct employment in the travel and tourism sector is set to rise by 2.3% from 317,500 jobs last year to 7,302 in 2017, with expectations to grow by 2.4% per annum to reach 410,000 jobs in 2027 , according to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2017 report.
Indirect jobs will increase by 1.8%, or 11,100, to 628,500 jobs this year compared to 617,500 jobs last year. Employment opportunities are expected to rise by 2.0% per annum, reaching 770,000 jobs by 2027.
The sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 2.9% to reach $44.6 billion (AED 163.8 billion) this year, compared to $43.3 billion (AED 159.1 billion) in 2016.
The total contribution is forecast to rise by 4.9% annually to $72.0 billion (AED 264.5 billion), 12.4% of GDP in 2027.
Dubai is expected to add 40,000 hotel rooms in the run up to the Expo 2020 event after it achieved the 100,000 room milestone in October last year.
