# Hospitality and tourism: laws, standards and reference sources

> The international frameworks, the standards on food safety and hotels, the strategies and rules of the United Arab Emirates and the public data that frame hospitality and tourism, each with its date, its status and its primary source. 2026 edition, reviewed 9 October 2026. Canonical: https://reference.myneogroup.com/knowledge/hospitality/

This page lists the main texts and sources that frame hospitality and tourism on 9 October 2026: the international frameworks of tourism, the standards on food safety, on hotels and on sustainable tourism, the strategies and the rules of the United Arab Emirates, of Dubai and of Abu Dhabi, the restaurant guides and the public data. Each entry gives the official name, the date, the status and a link to the primary source. Figures are those of the last full year, 2025.

## Declaration of interest

My NEO Group lists hospitality among its sectors. Its hospitality partner is the Salvaje Group, which operates restaurants and clubs, among them Salvaje Dubai, Arrogante Dubai and Amor Dubai. This page is published by My NEO Group as a reference. It is not legal advice. It rates no venue and recommends no product and no service.

## How tourism is counted and how food safety is framed

The International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 give the common method for collecting and compiling tourism statistics. UN Tourism counts international tourist arrivals as overnight visitors.

The General Principles of Food Hygiene of the Codex Alimentarius set out good hygiene practices and the HACCP system (hazard analysis and critical control points). Codex texts are voluntary: a country takes them into its own rules to make them enforceable. The Food Code of Dubai Municipality bases its food safety requirements on the principles of HACCP.

- [Tourism statistics at the United Nations](https://unstats.un.org/unsd/tourism/methodology.asp)
- [Codex Alimentarius texts](https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/en/)

## International frameworks

Frameworks of the United Nations system for tourism: a voluntary code of ethics and a statistical method.

| Text or source | Type | Date | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Global Code of Ethics for Tourism** - Code of ten articles adopted in 1999 by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization, now UN Tourism. It covers the economic, social, cultural and environmental sides of travel and tourism. A World Committee on Tourism Ethics, set up in 2003, interprets and applies it. | Charter | 1999 | Voluntary | https://www.untourism.int/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism |
| **International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008** - Framework of methods for collecting and compiling tourism statistics, adopted by the Statistical Commission of the United Nations in 2008. It replaced the recommendations of 1993. | Recommendation | 2008 | Current edition | https://unstats.un.org/unsd/tourism/methodology.asp |

## Standards for food safety, hotels and sustainable tourism

Voluntary standards. ISO standards are published documents under copyright; this page gives their subject only.

| Text or source | Type | Date | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969)** - Code of practice of the Codex Alimentarius. The FAO states that good hygiene practices and the HACCP system are set out in it. Codex texts are voluntary: they need to be taken into national rules to be enforceable. | Standard |  | Voluntary | https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/en/ |
| **ISO 22000:2018 - Food safety management systems** - Standard that sets the requirements for a food safety management system, for organisations of any size in the food chain. The second edition was published in June 2018. ISO has marked it for revision, and a draft of the next edition is listed. | Standard | June 2018 | Current edition | https://www.iso.org/standard/65464.html |
| **ISO 22483:2020 - Hotels - Service requirements** - Standard that sets quality requirements and recommendations for hotels: staff, service, events, safety and security, maintenance, cleanliness and guest satisfaction. It was published in April 2020, and ISO confirmed it on 5 March 2026. | Standard | April 2020 | Current edition | https://www.iso.org/standard/73315.html |
| **ISO 21401:2018 - Sustainability management system for accommodation establishments** - Standard that sets environmental, social and economic requirements for accommodation establishments. It was published in December 2018, and ISO confirmed it on 5 June 2025. | Standard | December 2018 | Current edition | https://www.iso.org/standard/70869.html |
| **ISO 21902:2021 - Accessible tourism for all** - Standard that sets requirements and guidelines so that people of all ages and abilities have equal access to tourism. It was published on 6 July 2021 and has been under systematic review since 15 July 2026. | Standard | July 2021 | Current edition | https://www.iso.org/standard/72126.html |
| **ISO 16520:2025 - Restaurants and catering - Vocabulary** - Standard that defines the terms of the restaurant and catering sector. It was published on 10 January 2025. | Standard | January 2025 | Current edition | https://www.iso.org/standard/84625.html |
| **GSTC Industry Criteria** - Criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council for hotels and tour operators, in four pillars: sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts and environmental impacts. The version for hotels is version 3, dated 21 December 2016. The Council does not certify hotels itself: its standards underpin the accreditation of certification bodies. | Standard | 21 December 2016 | Voluntary | https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-criteria/ |

## United Arab Emirates

Tourism strategies of the federation, of Dubai and of Abu Dhabi, and the rules on hotels, holiday homes and food establishments in Dubai. My NEO Group has its headquarters in Dubai.

| Text or source | Type | Date | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **UAE Tourism Strategy 2031** - National strategy with the year 2031 as its horizon. Its targets are a contribution of the tourism sector to the economy of AED 450 billion, 40 million hotel guests and AED 100 billion of additional tourism investment, through 25 initiatives and policies. | Strategy |  | Policy document | https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/tourism/uae-tourism-strategy-2031 |
| **The UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism** - Strategy launched by the Government in December 2020 to unify the local and federal efforts in tourism. It comes with the first federal tourism campaign, which runs for 45 days across the seven emirates. | Strategy | December 2020 | Policy document | https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/tourism/the-uae-strategy-for-domestic-tourism |
| **Visit UAE identity and UAE Grand Tour** - The Ministry of Economy and Tourism launched Visit UAE on 16 September 2026, during Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, as the first unified national tourism identity at federal level. UAE Grand Tour is a national tourism product with itineraries of up to 14 days across the seven emirates. | Programme | 16 September 2026 | Live | https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/-/ministry-of-economy-and-tourism-launches-visit-uae-identity-uae-grand-tour-platform-at-arabian-travel-market-2026-to-enhance-the-country-s-tourism-attractiveness |
| **Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety** - Federal law presented on the official portal of the Government. It sets standards for the safety and the quality of food, with penalties for those who endanger food safety. In Dubai, food safety falls under the municipality. | Law | 2015 | In force | https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/health-and-fitness/food-safety-and-health-tips |
| **Food Code of Dubai Municipality** - Reference document of the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality for food establishments, including restaurants and catering units. It requires a certified person in charge in each establishment and bases its food safety requirements on the principles of HACCP. | Regulation |  | In force | https://www.dm.gov.ae/municipality-business/food-traders-establishments/ |
| **Decree No. 17 of 2013 Concerning Licensing and Classification of Hotel Establishments in the Emirate of Dubai** - Decree dated 8 May 2013, listed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. The Department offers online services for the classification of hotel establishments. | Law | 8 May 2013 | In force | https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/legislative-news/hotels-decree-no-17-of-2013 |
| **Decree No. 41 of 2013 Regulating the Activity of Leasing out Holiday Homes in the Emirate of Dubai** - Decree dated 24 November 2013. The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism offers online services for the operators of holiday homes and for their permits. | Law | 24 November 2013 | In force | https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/legislative-news/holiday-homes-decree-no-41-of-2013 |
| **Dubai Sustainable Tourism Stamp** - Recognition given by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism to hotels that show strong sustainability practices, with gold, silver and bronze levels. | Scheme |  | Voluntary | https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/about-det/initiatives/dubai-sustainable-tourism/dubai-sustainable-tourism-stamp |
| **Dubai Economic Agenda D33** - Agenda approved in January 2023. It aims to double the size of the economy of Dubai in ten years, with 100 transformational projects. | Strategy | 4 January 2023 | Policy document | https://u.ae/en/about-the-uae/strategies-initiatives-and-awards/strategies-plans-and-visions/finance-and-economy/dubai-economic-agenda-d33 |
| **Abu Dhabi Tourism Strategy 2030** - Strategy of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi. Its targets for 2030 are 39.3 million visitors, a contribution of AED 90 billion to the economy and 178,000 new jobs. | Strategy |  | Policy document | https://dct.gov.ae/en/who.we.are/tourism.strategy.2030.aspx |

## Restaurant guides

Selections published by the MICHELIN Guide for Dubai and for Abu Dhabi. The counts are those of the edition named.

| Text or source | Type | Date | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2026** - Fifth edition of the Dubai selection, presented on 6 October 2026. It counts 122 restaurants and 38 types of cuisine: 2 restaurants with three stars, 4 with two stars, 14 with one star and 22 Bib Gourmand restaurants. | Guide | 6 October 2026 | Current edition | https://guide.michelin.com/ae-du/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-restaurant-ceremony-dubai-highlights-2026 |
| **MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026** - Fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi selection, whose full list is dated 23 October 2025: 3 restaurants with one star, 10 Bib Gourmand restaurants and 43 selected restaurants. | Guide | 23 October 2025 | Current edition | https://guide.michelin.com/ae-az/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/full-list-michelin-guide-abu-dhabi-selection |

## Public data and reference reports

Sources of data on tourism and travel. Figures are those of the publisher named, for the year 2025.

| Text or source | Type | Date | Status | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **UN Tourism World Tourism Barometer** - Report of UN Tourism published four times a year. For the year 2025, UN Tourism estimates 1.52 billion international tourists, 4% more than in 2024, and USD 1.9 trillion of international tourism receipts. The latest issue listed is dated September 2026. | Report | September 2026 | Current edition | https://www.untourism.int/un-tourism-world-tourism-barometer-data |
| **UN Tourism Data Dashboard** - Public dashboard of UN Tourism with monthly and annual indicators of inbound and outbound tourism, for the world, by region and by country: arrivals, receipts, share of exports and contribution to the economy. | Data source |  | Live | https://www.untourism.int/tourism-data/un-tourism-tourism-dashboard |
| **Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research** - Annual research of the World Travel & Tourism Council on 184 economies. For 2025, it puts the contribution of travel and tourism to the world economy at USD 11.6 trillion, or 9.8% of the total, and counts 366 million jobs supported by the sector. | Report |  | Current edition | https://wttc.org/research/economic-impact |
| **National tourism performance of the United Arab Emirates in 2025** - Release of the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of 17 September 2026, after a meeting of the Emirates Tourism Council. It puts the contribution of tourism and travel to the economy at about AED 251.3 billion in 2025, 3% more than in 2024, and the spending of international visitors at about AED 209 billion. | Data source | 17 September 2026 | Published | https://www.moet.gov.ae/en/-/emirates-tourism-council-reviews-national-tourism-performance-and-explores-unified-efforts-to-enhance-uae-s-competitiveness-as-a-sustainable-global-destination |
| **Annual traffic of Dubai International (DXB) in 2025** - Release of Dubai Airports of 11 February 2026. Dubai International welcomed 95.2 million guests in 2025, 3.1% more than in 2024, with 454,800 flight movements. It was connected to 291 destinations in 110 countries. | Data source | 11 February 2026 | Published | https://media.dubaiairports.ae/dxb-sets-global-benchmark-as-record-traffic-become-the-norm/ |
| **Annual Report 2025 of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi** - Annual report of the tourism authority of Abu Dhabi. It counts 5.9 million hotel guests in 2025 and hotel revenues of AED 9.1 billion. | Report |  | Current edition | https://dct.gov.ae/Pages/AnnualReport2025.aspx |
| **Tourism performance reports of Dubai** - The Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism publishes monthly tourism performance reports and an annual visitor report. The figures of the report for 2025 could not be read for this edition, so no figure is printed here. | Data source |  | Live | https://www.dubaidet.gov.ae/en/research-and-insights/annual-visitor-report-2025 |

## My NEO Group and hospitality

The Salvaje Group is the hospitality partner of My NEO Group. The Salvaje Group operates restaurants and clubs in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas under brands that include Salvaje, Arrogante, Kanibal, Calle Dragones and Amor. In Dubai, the Salvaje venues are located at Address Residences Dubai Opera, in Downtown Dubai.

My NEO Group presents these venues as a live test bed for NEO AI in hospitality.

This page lists public texts and sources. It makes no statement on how any venue, any company or any partner relates to them.

## How this page was made

- Each entry was read on the official page linked, on 8 and 9 October 2026. A fact that could only be confirmed on a secondary source is not printed.
- Each entry gives the official English name when one exists. For texts with no official English title, the English name is a translation.
- The status is the one shown by the primary source on the date of this edition. Laws and timelines change: check the primary source before relying on a date.
- Texts are summarised in the words of this site. The summaries do not replace the texts.
- This page is information. It is not legal advice.
- Figures are those of the last full year, 2025. Figures for part of the year 2026 are not printed.

Regulated services are provided only by licensed entities, in the jurisdictions where they are authorised. Nothing on this site is an offer of securities or investment advice.