The UAE has launched the sixth edition of its World’s Coolest Winter campaign under the theme “Our Winter is Entrepreneurial”, as the tourism sector continues to record growth across visitor numbers and revenues.

The initiative forms part of the UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism and was announced by Economy and Tourism Minister Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri in coordination with tourism authorities nationwide.

In its sixth year, the campaign focuses on Emirati entrepreneurship and innovation, highlighting investment opportunities and the role of local businesses in shaping tourism experiences.

According to Bin Touq, the UAE’s tourism sector maintained strong performance during the first ten months of 2025. Hotels nationwide welcomed 26.1 million guests, up 5% year on year, generating more than 89 million occupied room nights. 

Hotel revenues rose by 8% to exceed $10.9 billion, while total hotel capacity reached 216,500 rooms across 1,241 establishments. Average occupancy increased to 79%, supported by international demand and domestic travel.

He added that the UAE ranked among the world’s top seven destinations for international tourism spending in 2025 and secured leading positions in global travel and aviation competitiveness indexes, including for air transport infrastructure quality.

The year also saw several international milestones for the sector. UN Tourism elected Shaikha Al Nowais as Secretary-General for the 2026–2029 term, making her the first woman and first Emirati to hold the role. Masfout Village in Ajman was named UN Tourism’s World’s Best Tourism Village 2025, while Al Ain was designated Capital of Arab Tourism for 2026.

Running for six weeks from December 16, the World’s Coolest Winter campaign will promote eco-tourism destinations, green spaces, and winter experiences across the UAE, supporting the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031. Under the current theme, the edition will highlight tourism offerings developed by local entrepreneurs and startups, integrating them into winter destinations nationwide.

Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director of the Tourism Development Department at the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, said the campaign has evolved into a national platform supporting economic diversification, aligned with the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which targets $27.2 billion in new investments and 40 million hotel guests by 2031. Since its launch, the campaign has generated around $1.8 billion in hotel revenues, while tourism accounted for 13% of UAE GDP in 2024.

Khalid Kalbat, Director of Small and Medium Enterprises Development at the ministry highlighted the role of SMEs, which contribute 63.5% of non-oil GDP and 95% of companies nationwide, supported by $2.4 billion through the Projects of the 50 initiatives. The ministry said it is encouraging closer alignment between tourism and entrepreneurship in support of the We the UAE 2031 vision.