Dubai: A new blueprint of sorts to attract ecotourists from around the globe to the UAE was unveiled on Thursday by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE).

Known as the National Ecotourism Project, the effort aims to advance the UAE’s position to a leading global ecotourism hub.

In its push to diversify its economy away from oil, cities in the region such as Dubai have been moving to service-related industries such as tourism to bolster financial growth and support a sustainable environment. The project will promote the UAE’s ecotourism attractions in three phases that focus on environmental, economic and social factors.

The ministry is currently working on the pilot phase that includes making ample information and promotional footage available under the theme ‘The UAE’s Natural Wonders’ to showcase the rich biodiversity across the country’s 43 protected areas.

Dr Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said at the launch on Thursday that the project will help diversify the economy even more.

“Over the past few years, the pioneering vision and directives of the UAE leadership have enabled the country to consolidate its leading global status across diverse sectors, with travel and tourism at the forefront.”

Al Zeyoudi said the UAE recorded nearly 15.87 million incoming tourists in 2017, a 6.5 per cent increase over 2016, with revenues amounting to Dh118.8 billion.

Reports project tourist traffic to continue growing in the coming years to a record-breaking 25 million visitors between 2020 and 2021, coinciding with Expo 2020, being hosted in Dubai.

Global travel and tourism trends, he said, in the last decade have indicated the emergence of ecotourism, a concept widely embraced by tourists who seek to leave no ecological footprint behind while travelling.

The United Nations’ World Tourism Organisation defines ecotourism as a form of sustainable tourism that actively contributes to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage. By this definition, ecotourism and all nature-related forms of tourism account for approximately 20 per cent of total international travel.

“The National Ecotourism Project is a result of the country’s commitment to preserving the environment, a commitment instilled in its people by the founding father of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,” said Al Zeyoudi.

“The ministry is about to launch a dedicated website and app for tablets and smartphones to raise awareness about the protected areas among residents and visitors, and encourage travel agencies to include these sites in their promotional packages for the UAE. The portal and app will serve as an information and visual resource that UAE embassies across the globe and national airlines can use to introduce these attractions to the world,” Al Zeyoudi said.

He added: “For the project to become full-fledged, the UAE seeks to leverage the fast-paced development witnessed in all sectors, particularly in the sustainable tourism domain that includes eco-friendly flights, hotels, beaches and campsites. In the next phase, we plan to update the website and app with geographic locations and detailed information on these facilities and services to assist travel agencies in organising eco-friendly tours. The success of this phase depends on the cooperation with government and private entities that will provide relevant information to the ministry to share with the public.”