UAE Launches Sixth World’s Coolest Winter Campaign as Tourism Revenues Top $11bn in 2025

The UAE has launched the sixth edition of its flagship World’s Coolest Winter campaign under the theme “Our Winter is Entrepreneurial”, reinforcing tourism’s role as a key driver of sustainable economic growth as hotel revenues surpassed $11bn in 2025. The national initiative forms part of the UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism and highlights the growing integration of entrepreneurship and innovation across the tourism ecosystem.

Announcing the launch, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism, said the campaign continues to gain momentum each year, strengthening tourism’s contribution to the national economy. Now in its sixth edition, the initiative places a spotlight on Emirati entrepreneurs and startups, showcasing investment opportunities and globally distinctive tourism experiences developed across the emirates.

The UAE’s tourism sector has maintained a strong upward trajectory through the first ten months of 2025. Hotels nationwide welcomed 26.1 million guests, marking a 5 per cent year-on-year increase, and recorded more than 89 million occupied room nights. Hotel revenues rose 8 per cent to exceed AED40bn ($10.9bn), supported by an average occupancy rate of 79 per cent and a growing inventory of 216,500 rooms across 1,241 establishments.

The country also reinforced its global standing, ranking among the top seven destinations worldwide for international tourism spending and achieving leading positions in travel and aviation competitiveness indexes. The year marked major international milestones, including the election of Shaikha Al Nowais as the first woman and first Emirati Secretary-General of UN Tourism for the 2026–2029 term, while Masfout Village in Ajman was named World’s Best Tourism Village 2025 and Al Ain was designated Capital of Arab Tourism 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. Under its entrepreneurial theme, the edition integrates tourism offerings created by local businesses into destinations nationwide, directly supporting the goals of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.

Since its launch, the campaign has generated approximately AED6.7bn ($1.8bn) in hotel revenues over five editions, with revenues rising 90 per cent from the first to the fifth edition. Tourism’s contribution to UAE GDP reached AED257.3bn ($70.1bn) in 2024, accounting for 13 per cent of the economy, underscoring the sector’s growing economic significance.

Officials said the sixth edition aims to deepen the link between tourism and entrepreneurship, positioning both as twin pillars of the We the UAE 2031 vision and reinforcing the country’s status as a global hub for innovation, investment, and sustainable tourism development.