The local market has revived the UAE tourism sector by acquiring 58% of the total number of the 19 million hotel guests, compared to 42% tourists, according to a report released on Tuesday. Hotel establishments achieved a growth of more than 29% in 2021 compared to the number of guests recorded in 2020. According to the report, revenues from the sector grew by about 70% in 2021 at 28 billion dirhams ($7.6 billion dollars) compared to 2020. These figures were released after the Emirates Tourism Council (ETC) held its first meeting this year, chaired by Dr. Ahmad al-Falasi, the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises. Heads and directors of all local tourism departments and authorities attended the meeting. More than 75 million hotel nights were booked in 2021, up 42% compared to 2020, while the hotel occupancy rate amounted to 67%. The number of hotel establishments in the UAE also increased during 2021 by five percent compared to 2020, reaching 1,144 establishments. So did the number of hotel rooms, which increased by eight percent to reach 194,000 rooms across the emirates. Falasi said these positive results reflect the efficiency of the policies adopted by the UAE to support and develop the national tourism sector. He pointed out that many of these figures are close to the growth rates achieved in the pre-pandemic period, which indicates the full recovery of the national tourism sector. He further underlined the importance of the contribution of the recent major events and initiatives organized by the country. These include Expo 2020 Dubai, which attracted more than 24 million visitors in six months, and the second edition of the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, which generated revenues amounting to 1.5 billion dirhams.