The fourth edition of the "Most Beautiful Winter in the World" campaign represents a qualitative leap in the UAE's tourism attraction efforts.
Ministers and officials from the UAE government and federal and local authorities confirmed that the fourth edition of the "Most Beautiful Winter in the World" campaign, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai on January 9, under the slogan "Unforgettable Stories," represents a pivotal moment in cementing the UAE's position as a global tourism capital. They highlighted the importance of the campaign, executed by the Ministry of Economy with support from the UAE Government Media Office and in collaboration with various tourism, culture, and heritage bodies, in familiarizing tourists with the country's cultural and heritage uniqueness. The campaign's broad scope encompasses all regions of the country, providing a diverse array of options that align with the interests and tastes of all local visitors and tourists, enabling them to retain unforgettable images and memories of the UAE's landscape and community.
They also affirmed that the campaign plays a vital role in enhancing a sense of belonging and connection to places while highlighting the tourist attractions of each emirate, especially during the winter season, in which the UAE excels. This is propelled by ambitious projects in the promising tourism sector that attracts more global companies to the country's markets and provides new job opportunities for national talents, positively impacting national economic growth and enhancing the UAE's global competitiveness.
The "Most Beautiful Winter in the World" campaign achieved significant success in its third edition, experiencing exceptional engagement on social media, with over 5.8 million interactions. The hashtag #أجمل_شتاء_في_العالم was used in more than 18,000 photos and videos, with over 161 promotional videos produced by the UAE government media office and content creators, collectively garnering over 158.2 million views from around the world. The positive global interaction with the campaign reached 100%, while local, regional, and global media coverage reached over 190 million people.
### Diverse Options in the UAE Winter
The UAE possesses unique tourism attributes, making winter an ideal time for tourism, particularly for outdoor activities and open-air locations. The Emirati winter season officially extends from December 1 to the end of February, often lasting until early April, along with spring rains.
Tourism in the UAE spans various sectors, including environmental, desert, cultural and heritage, beach, mountain, adventure, major festivals and events, and shopping tourism. The safe and peaceful environment of the UAE is a primary attraction for millions of tourists worldwide seeking an exceptional experience in a country where individual comfort and personal safety are top priorities. The UAE ranked first globally in terms of people's feelings of safety while wandering its streets alone at night and second among the safest countries according to the "Gallup Law and Order Index 2021," which tracks levels of public safety and law enforcement across the globe, as well as the sense of security among populations in each country.
The social climate of the UAE is characterized by cultural and civil openness, bolstered by a value system founded on tolerance and coexistence, serving as a fundamental driver attracting millions from around the world who find freedom to practice their rites, express their cultures, and observe their traditions and customs without any restriction, as a legal right.
The UAE ranks among the top ten globally in various competitive indicators related to the tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors, finishing first worldwide for the overall occupancy rate of hospitality facilities, which exceeded 84.6% according to STR Global, and fifth globally in attracting the highest number of new foreign direct investment projects in tourism from 2018 to 2022, according to the FDI Markets index. The UAE also ranked second worldwide in tourism revenue according to the International Institute for Management Development in the 2022 World Competitiveness Yearbook.
Total hotel revenues in the UAE reached 32.2 billion dirhams from January to September 2023, achieving a growth rate of 27% compared to the same period in 2022. The total number of hotel guests reached 20.2 million during the first nine months of 2023, marking a growth rate of 12% compared to the same period in 2022, with a total of 70.2 million hotel nights. The total number of hotel establishments in the country reached 1,223 by the end of September.
