Dubai, UAE — Global travel companies and tourism industry leaders expressed confidence in the UAE’s tourism sector during the “Engage by Elevate online 2026” summit, citing the destination’s resilience and continued appeal to international travellers.
The hybrid event, organised by Elevate World and hosted from Dubai, brought together more than 100 international tour operators and over 200 hotels, resorts, attractions and destination partners from major source markets.
More than 1,500 pre-arranged business-to-business meetings were held during the summit, alongside networking sessions aimed at supporting future growth across the sector.
Samir Hamadeh, founder and chief executive of Elevate World, said the UAE had demonstrated agility and maintained high standards of care for citizens, residents and visitors during challenging global periods.
“The outlook for the UAE tourism sector is overwhelmingly positive,” Hamadeh said, adding that the destination continued to strengthen its position as a global tourism hub.
During the event, Elevate World unveiled Yara AI, an artificial intelligence platform designed to support tour operators, hotels and tourism stakeholders across the industry.
Representatives from the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Miral and the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority outlined plans aimed at maximising tourism opportunities in the fourth quarter of 2026.
As the headline sponsor of the summit, Wynn Al Marjan Island provided an update on construction progress and its plans ahead of the opening of the multi-billion-dollar development.
Miral and Elevate World also announced a distribution partnership intended to expand the international reach and accessibility of Yas Island’s entertainment and hospitality offerings.
Industry executives from European and British travel companies highlighted continued interest in the UAE market during panel discussions.
Paul Truss, Head of Product at Virgin Atlantic Holidays, said the Middle East remained an important market for the company, while Mark White, Head of Contracting Long Haul/North Africa at On the Beach, said demand from UK customers for the region remained strong.
The second day of the summit focused on business tourism and the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector, with Informa reporting strong registration levels and market confidence for upcoming trade exhibitions in the UAE.
