The travel and tourism sector in the United Arab Emirates can create up to 18,000 jobs in the nation this year.

In the latest report by the World Travel and Tourism Council said that direct employment in the direct tourism sector is set to rise by 7,302 a 2.3% increase from 2016.

The number is expected to increase by 2.4% per annum.

The employment in the indirect sector will increase by 1.8% this year and the report predicts a 2.0% increase in the employment in the coming years.

The contribution of the tourism sector to the nation’s GDP will grow by 2.9% to reach $44.6 billion this year from $43.3 billion last year.

The total contribution is forecast to rise by 4.9 % per annum to $72.0bn, 12.4 percent of GDP, in 2027.

The sector’s direct contribution to GDP stood at $18.7bn, 5.2% of total GDP in 2016. It is forecast to increase by 3.2% in 2017 and by 5.1% per annum, from 2017-2027, to $31.6 billion, 5.4% of total GDP in 2027.

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) reported 4.57 million travelers visited the emirate in the first quarter of 2017, an 11 percent increase, compared to the same period last year.

In the run up to the Expo 2020 event, the emirate is expected to add 40,000 new hotel rooms after it achieved the 100,000 room milestone in October last year.

AMandeep