The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s position as a global tourism destination, including the launch of the UAE’s first unified national tourism identity and a new platform promoting multi-emirate travel.

The Ministry participated in Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held at Dubai World Trade Centre from 14 to 17 September, under the presence of Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.

Its participation focused on showcasing the diversity of destinations and tourism experiences across the seven emirates, strengthening engagement with tourism stakeholders and developing partnerships to support the sector’s growth and competitiveness.

A key announcement was the launch of ‘Visit UAE,’ the country’s first unified national tourism identity at the federal level.

The initiative is designed to present the UAE as a single, integrated destination while bringing the tourism offerings of all seven emirates together under one identity.

The Ministry also launched the ‘UAE Grand Tour’ platform, developed in collaboration with Rocket International and tourism authorities across the seven emirates.

The national tourism product offers itineraries of up to 14 days covering multiple emirates, encouraging visitors to explore more than one destination during their stay.

The platform also provides integrated booking options through travel-sector partners, allowing visitors to search for and book tourism programmes.

Tour operators and travel agents can use dedicated tools to create multi-emirate packages for international markets and offer direct bookings to travellers.

The itineraries cover a range of experiences, including family, cultural, nature-based and adventure tourism, alongside information on participating hotels, attractions and transport services. Hospitality establishments, attractions and tourism experience providers contribute products and accommodation options to the routes.

Bin Touq also highlighted the UAE’s continued development as a global MICE destination, supported by advanced infrastructure and an integrated network of facilities and services serving businesses and international visitors.

He said ATM provides an important platform to examine developments shaping the global travel industry, including artificial intelligence, innovation and rising demand for personalised and integrated tourism experiences.

The event also enables the UAE to exchange expertise with international partners and explore ways to build a more sustainable and competitive tourism sector.

The Minister said: “The launch of the ‘Visit UAE’ identity and the ‘UAE Grand Tour’ platform, reflects the UAE’s commitment to further developing an advanced tourism sector and strengthening the country’s position as a global destination that helps shape the future of tourism. Through ‘Visit UAE’, we are unifying the UAE’s national tourism offering and showcasing the diversity of destinations and experiences across the seven emirates, while the ‘UAE Grand Tour’ platform represents an integrated tourism product that encourages visitors to choose from a range of itineraries to explore more than one emirate and extend their stay.”

He continued: “These initiatives are part of our vision to strengthen the resilience of the national tourism sector and enhance its capacity for sustained growth by leveraging the diversity of markets and tourism products, promoting domestic tourism, and proactively responding to shifts happening across the sector. At the same time, we remain committed to achieving the objectives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, including increasing the sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attracting AED 100 billion in new tourism investments, and welcoming 40 million hotel guests annually by the next decade.”

The Ministry also announced plans to take its ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign into international markets for the first time.

Launched in 2020 as a domestic tourism initiative, the campaign encourages residents and visitors to explore the UAE during the winter season.

The international edition will promote the country’s desert and coastal experiences, adventure activities, festivals, events and urban attractions, while highlighting its mild winter climate.

The initiative is expected to complement the ‘Visit UAE’ identity and the UAE Grand Tour by promoting multi-destination travel and encouraging international visitors to extend their stays.

Together, the initiatives are intended to create a more integrated national tourism offering, strengthen the UAE’s international visibility and support the objectives of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. -TradeArabia News Service