On the sidelines of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) Madrid 2026, UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with ministers and senior tourism officials from Brazil, Portugal, Azerbaijan, and Argentina, underscoring the country’s commitment to deepening international tourism cooperation. According to official statements released during the event, the discussions focused on advancing collaboration to more developed and prosperous levels, with particular emphasis on exchanging expertise and best practices in sustainable tourism development. The minister reaffirmed that, guided by the UAE leadership’s forward-looking vision centered on openness and international cooperation, strengthening strategic partnerships with leading global tourism markets remains a national priority. He indicated that such partnerships are designed to enhance competitiveness, expand joint promotion opportunities, and align tourism development with global industry transformations.
FITUR Madrid Talks Showcase UAE Tourism Growth and Expanding Bilateral Cooperation
During the meetings, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri highlighted the strong performance of the UAE tourism sector, citing data from the World Travel and Tourism Council. International visitor spending in the UAE reached AED217.3 billion in 2024, reflecting year-on-year growth of 5.8 percent and a 30.4 percent increase compared to 2019, with spending projected to rise to AED228.5 billion in 2025. He also noted that from January to November 2025, hotel occupancy rates climbed to 79.5 percent, the average length of stay increased to 3.42 nights, and national capacity expanded to 1,260 hotels with approximately 216,900 rooms, demonstrating the sector’s ability to meet rising demand and contribute to economic growth.
Bilateral discussions with Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, Trade and Services, Pedro Machado, addressed joint tourism product development, particularly in cultural, environmental, and maritime tourism, alongside enhanced air connectivity and cooperation in hospitality training. Official tourism data indicated that nearly 89,000 Portuguese tourists visited the UAE in 2025, supported by 21 weekly direct flights. Talks with Argentina’s Minister of Tourism, Sports and Environment Daniel Scioli focused on sports and cultural tourism initiatives and potential joint events, as Argentine visitor numbers reached 34,900 in 2025, a 9 percent annual increase. Meetings with Brazil’s Tourism Minister Gustavo Feliciano explored destination promotion, infrastructure investment, increased air services, and the creation of a joint working group, as Brazilian hotel guests in the UAE rose to 165,000 with 14 weekly direct flights. The minister concluded with discussions with Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency Chairman Fuad Naghiyev on investment, events, and destination management, reflecting growth to 38,600 Azerbaijani visitors and 20 weekly flights, according to official figures released at FITUR Madrid 2026.