As reflected by its numerous initiatives and programs aimed at supporting the national tourism sector, the Ministry of Economy remains keen to enhance the capabilities of young nationals in tourism sector as they are a fundamental pillar in driving the growth of this vital sector and its competitiveness at both regional and global levels. One such initiative is the Tourism TechGen program, which was launched by the Ministry in October 2022, in cooperation with several national universities, tourism authorities, and tourism sector partners in the country. Tourism TechGen is part of the solutions and initiatives that the Ministry constantly puts forward to enable and engage Emirati students and youth in various economic fields, especially tourism, and to develop their capabilities and skills and equip them with skills and knowledge that contribute to effectively preparing them to lead the comprehensive development of the country.

The first edition of Tourism TechGen witnessed the participation of more than 657 students and graduates from various universities in the UAE, and was held over four weeks.  The program aims to support the UAE's efforts to instill the culture of entrepreneurship in universities and schools by encouraging students and new generations to innovate and create, and to provide all opportunities and capabilities to transform their inspiring ideas into real and sustainable projects in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors in the coming years.

The program also supports the objectives of the National Tourism Strategy 2031, which was launched last November, by motivating national cadres to participate in various tourism sectors, providing them with future skills, building their capabilities, and enhancing their awareness of the importance of the tourism sector as a key pillar of the national economy. This strategy is based on four main directions, which are strengthening of the national tourism identity, developing and diversifying specialized tourism products, building tourism capabilities, encouraging the national cadres to work in the tourism sector, and increasing investments in various tourism sectors.

The empowerment of nationals in tourism sector comes in line with the continued efforts to enhance the role of this sector and increase its contribution to the UAE's GDP to AED 450 billion by 2031, and to strengthen the state's efforts in providing an attractive and safe national tourism environment, leading and integrated tourism services, diverse and unique destinations, and a highly developed tourism infrastructure.

Among initiatives that aim to promote the domestic tourism sector is 'the Coolest Winter' campaign, whose third edition was launched under the slogan 'Our Heritage'. This campaign is the largest of its kind that highlight the various domestic tourism options across the UAE. It contributed to increasing domestic tourism by 36 per cent in 2021, attracting 1.3 million domestic tourists. In its second edition last year, the campaign achieved remarkable results as it generated AED 1.5 billion in revenues in just one month.