The UAE is celebrating World Tourism Day today, under the slogan, "Sustainable Tourism is a Tool for Development."

The tourism sector is an important item on the agenda of the UAE’s leadership in terms of developing its plans and strategies for sustainability and economic diversification. Tourism investments have received considerable official attention and are a top government priority.

The UAE is ranked first in the region and 29th globally in the World Tourism Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum 2017, second globally in terms of safety and security, and third globally in the field of aviation infrastructure in terms of global communication and in the quality of its tourism services. It is also ranked fifth globally in developing tourism activities and 15th in digital readiness.

The UAE has developed its economic tourism sector by hosting a large amount of international conferences and is ranked 27th globally in the category of developing hospitality and entertainment facilities.

The country has improved its tourism capacities and increased its percentage rating in the Global Competitiveness Report by 1.4 percent since 2015 when it received 14.4 million tourists, up by 4 million compared to the previous two years.

The tourism and hospitality sector is one of the most strategic sectors in the country in terms of achieving the UAE Vision 2021, and has contributed to the growth of the UAE’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, despite being a minor component of the country’s overall economy compared to other economic sectors.

The UAE also ranked third on the list of the top 10 destinations in 2017 as published by the UK's Daily Express, a list which includes Montenegro, Indonesia, South Korea, Hawaii, Iceland, Colombia and Malta. Cuba and Canada topped the list.

The UAE is steadily realising the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021, which aims to increase the number of visitors over the next few years.

Dubai's hosting of the World Expo 2020, the first major event of its kind in the region, will help to maintain its global status and realise its vision to be one of the world's best cities.

UAE Vision 2021 also includes a national goal, for the UAE to become one of world’s leading countries in terms of sustainability, by the time of its Golden Jubilee in 2021.