UAE launches Visit UAE identity and Grand Tour platform to strengthen tourism appeal

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has launched the ‘Visit UAE’ national tourism identity and the ‘UAE Grand Tour’ platform, bringing together destinations and tourism experiences across the country’s seven emirates under a unified offering.

The announcements were made during the Ministry’s participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held at Dubai World Trade Centre from September 14 to 17, in the presence of H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism.

The initiatives are aimed at strengthening the UAE’s tourism presence regionally and internationally, encouraging visitors to explore multiple emirates and supporting longer stays and wider tourism spending.

Visit UAE creates unified national tourism identity

The ‘Visit UAE’ identity is being introduced as the UAE’s first unified national tourism identity at the federal level. It is designed to present the country as an integrated destination while highlighting the distinctive tourism attractions and experiences offered by each emirate.

The initiative brings the UAE’s tourism offering under a single identity, allowing destinations and experiences across the country to be presented as part of one national tourism proposition.

Bin Touq said the launch reflects the UAE’s efforts to develop an advanced tourism sector and showcase the diversity of destinations and experiences available across the seven emirates.

UAE Grand Tour connects all seven emirates

The ‘UAE Grand Tour’ platform has been developed in collaboration with Rocket International, tourism authorities across the seven emirates and private-sector operators.

The national tourism product features multi-emirate itineraries of up to 14 days, giving visitors the option to travel across different destinations during a single trip.

The itineraries cover family, cultural, nature and adventure experiences, as well as accommodation, attractions and transport options. Visitors can search for and book programmes through participating travel-sector partners.

The platform also provides tools for tour operators and travel agents, enabling them to create multi-emirate tourism programmes for international markets and offer direct booking options to travellers.

According to the Ministry, the initiative is designed to encourage visitors to explore more than one emirate, potentially extending their stays and increasing tourism activity across different destinations.

World’s Coolest Winter to target international markets

The Ministry also announced plans to take the ‘World’s Coolest Winter’ campaign into international markets for the first time.

Launched in 2020 as a domestic tourism campaign, the initiative has encouraged residents and visitors to explore destinations and experiences across the UAE during the winter season.

The upcoming edition will target selected international markets and highlight the country’s winter tourism offering, including desert and coastal experiences, adventure activities, festivals and events, and city attractions.

The campaign will also promote the UAE’s winter climate as part of its appeal to international travellers.

The Ministry said the international expansion will strengthen links between the World’s Coolest Winter campaign, the Visit UAE identity and multi-emirate tourism products such as the UAE Grand Tour.

UAE strengthens global MICE position

During ATM 2026, Bin Touq also highlighted the UAE’s continued development as a global destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

He pointed to the country’s infrastructure and integrated tourism and business ecosystem as factors supporting its appeal to business travellers and international visitors.

The Minister also noted that ATM provides an opportunity to examine changes shaping the global travel sector, including artificial intelligence, innovation and increasing demand for personalised and integrated tourism experiences.

Tourism Strategy 2031 targets

The newly announced initiatives form part of the UAE’s broader tourism development agenda under the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031.

The strategy includes objectives to raise the tourism sector’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attract AED 100 billion in new tourism investments, and reach 40 million hotel guests annually over the coming decade.

The Ministry said the latest initiatives are intended to support the resilience and sustained growth of the national tourism sector by promoting the diversity of tourism products, strengthening domestic tourism and responding to changes in international travel demand.