Tag Archives: Tourism ministers

Tourism Ministers from Israel, United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Bahrain will come together at WTM Virtual for the first time since signing historic agreements to normalise relations in September. The Abraham Accords, signed on September 15, set in motion a host of business opportunities and inter-governmental agreements between Israel and the UAE, as well as creating exciting tourism prospects in the region for the first time. Concurrently, Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain also signed an agreement to launch full diplomatic relations. The agreements gave the go ahead for official dialogue between the countries and set in place new opportunities for tourism. Those involved hope tourism between the destinations will provide the chance to establish peace on a deeper level within the Middle East region. Simon Press, Senior Director – WTM said, “The session will provide a fascinating insight into how co-operating on tourism and trade – encouraging people to engage with different cultures and experience new places, sample different food and take part in different activities – can advance peace. “WTM has always understood the unique way that travel promotes tolerance, empathy and cross-cultural understanding. When people travel, they form friendships, engage in dialogue and are able to see things from a different perspective. When flight paths open up, the prospect for new business becomes a reality, which creates wealth and opportunity for destinations and their citizens. The post-COVID possibilities are endless for this region and we’re excited that WTM Virtual has been able to facilitate such an important meeting and play a part in history,” concluded Press.

Tourism ministers and diplomatic representatives from 20 Arab League nations gathered at the historic Al Ahsa, 2019 Arab City of Tourism, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) hosted the 22nd Annual Arab Tourism Ministers Meeting. The ministers and representatives discussed issues ranging from delivering a more unified approach to promoting tourism in the Arab world through to building sustainable tourism industries in the region. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, commented, “Tourism has a critical role to play across our region, not only in driving economic growth and in creating enriching career opportunities for local communities, but also in fostering new opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. We look forward to exploring how the Arab League can work together to embrace the opportunities tourism presents for the benefit of our region.” During the meeting, ministers discussed the important role of tourism in driving economic growth and creating inclusive job opportunities as a significant employer of women and young people. Also on the agenda was the importance of regional collaboration to harness the growing global trend of multi-destination tourism. Ministers discussed opportunities for countries to work together to build strong regional tourism identities that celebrate rich and diverse tourism offerings and highlight intra-regional air, land and sea connectivity. His Excellency, Ahmed Al Khateeb shared the Kingdom’s ambitious strategy, which aims to attract travellers from around the world to meet its targets of 100 million trips by 2030 and plans to triple its current GDP level from 3 per cent to 10 per cent, creating one million new jobs.