The United Arab Emirates’ tourism sector has made significant progress in embracing cryptocurrency as a payment method, with major airlines and travel platforms facilitating transactions using digital assets. In July 2025, Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Crypto.com, marking a key milestone in the integration of cryptocurrencies into travel services. This partnership enables passengers to pay for flights and onboard services using Bitcoin and Ethereum [1]. Following this initiative, other major UAE airlines, including Etihad and Air Arabia, have adopted similar measures, broadening the scope of crypto-based travel bookings [2].

Travel platforms such as Travala and Alternative Airlines have also joined the movement,…