DUBAI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Top executives of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tourism industry gathered on Sunday in Dubai over the challenges and growth opportunities in local and regional travel and tourism sector.

The first Advisory Board Meeting of the annual Arabian Travel Market Congress, initiated by Reed Travel Exhibitions, a world's leading tourism events organizer, also discussed ways to optimize the use of technology of the fourth industrial revolution in the hospitality sector, Reed Exhibitions said in an e-mailed statement.

The Dubai tourism market witnessed a stagnation in the first six months of 2018.

Once spoiled by double-digit growth rates, Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said in August that the emirate welcomed 8.1 million visitors in the first half of 2018, up by a mere 0.5 percent.

Etihad Airways, a flag carrier based in the UAE's capital Abu Dhabi, suffered a 1.52-billion-U.S.-dollar loss in 2017, reflecting the challenges the UAE and Middle Eastern tourism has faced in recent years in the wake of the oil price slump.

Earlier in the month, the Dubai government said it aims to welcome 25 million tourists by 2025.