Tag Archives: UN tourism

The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) announced that Dr. Abdelrazzak Arrabiyat, the Managing Director of JTB, has been elected as the Chair of the Affiliate Member Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) Affiliate Member Committee (on Matters Related to Affiliate Membership). This prestigious appointment underscores Dr. Arrabiyat’s dedication to fostering global tourism and his commitment to promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism practices. Dr. Abdelrazzak brings to the position a wealth of experience and a proven track record of leadership in the tourism sector. His election is a testament to his visionary approach and the trust placed in him by the international tourism community. As the new Chair, Dr. Abdelrazzak has pledged to expand the affiliate membership, strengthen collaboration among members, and enhance coordination for the benefit of the committee. Dr. Abdelrazzak Arabiyat stated: “I am deeply honored to be elected as the Chair of the Affiliate Member Executive Council of the UN Tourism Affiliate Member Committee. This role presents a unique opportunity to work closely with our global partners to advance the interests of the tourism industry. I am committed to increasing our affiliate membership and fostering a spirit of cooperation and innovation within our community. Together, we can navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead, ensuring a prosperous future for all members.” Dr. Arabiyat’s vision includes leveraging the collective expertise of the affiliate members to address the pressing issues facing the tourism sector today, including the impacts of climate change, the need for sustainable tourism practices, and the recovery from the global pandemic. By prioritizing these areas, he aims to build a more resilient and dynamic tourism industry that benefits both local communities …

UN Tourism Ambassadors joined in celebrating the establishment of 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. At the Organization’s headquarters in Madrid, the UN Tourism leadership welcomed the Ambassadors to Spain of 24 Member States to look ahead to the seminal year. They included His Excellency Farrukh Tursunov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan, which sponsored the Resolution for the year ahead of its adoption by 86 Member States at the UN General Assembly in February. Rosario Sánchez Grau, Secretary of State for Tourism of Spain, host country of UN Tourism, was also present to mark the occasion. The adoption of the Resolution to proclaim 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism was a joint achievement. So it is only right we come together today to celebrate it welcoming the dignitaries, UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “The adoption of the Resolution to proclaim 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism was a joint achievement. So it is only right we come together today to celebrate it. The year will allow us to make clear tourism’s unique ability to drive development and opportunity, while also stressing the need to ensure that the sector’s growth is sustainable in every way and resilient enough to weather future shocks and challenges.” The UN General Assembly Resolution calls on “UN Tourism to facilitate the organization and implementation of the International Year, in collaboration with Governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, international and regional organizations and other relevant stakeholders.”

UN Tourism announced the addition of 39 new entities from the private sector to its growing network of Affiliate Members with 7 of them from the Middle East. The 7 new Affiliate Members from the Middle East are: Amsa Hospitality Company (Saudi Arabia), Batterjee Medical College (Saudi Arabia), IFP Qatar (Qatar), Ishraq Hospitality (United Arab Emirates), Jordan Hotels Association (Jordan), Jordan Restaurant Association (Jordan) and New Perspective Media FZ LLC (United Arab Emirates) The new members combine a wide range of profiles with diverse backgrounds and types of business: 3 Destination Management Organization (DMOs), 14 for-profit companies, 10 associations and NGOs, and 7 education and research institutes, and 5 others. In terms of geographical distribution, the newly admitted members come from all the regions: 6 from Africa, 10 from the Americas, 3 from Asia and the Pacific, 13 from Europe, and 7 from the Middle. “The integration of these new leading entities reflects our ongoing efforts to strengthen the Affiliate Membership and create a diverse and inclusive network capable of significantly contributing to the UN Tourism mission. We remain committed to enhancing Affiliate Members’ satisfaction and fostering a sense of belonging through effective, mutually beneficial, win-win engagement in the Organization’s key activities and projects,” said UN Tourism Director of the Affiliate Members and Public-Private Collaboration Department, Ion Vilcu. Governments and National Tourism Administrations are increasingly partnering with UN Tourism to promote Affiliate Membership in their own countries to further invigorate their local tourism sectors and to have their leading entities connected within the largest network of its kind in tourism, which currently includes a total of 500 entities. Under the current admission procedure, the candidatures were submitted for consideration and approval of …

The First UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia and the Pacific will take place in Cebu, The Philippines, on 26-27 June 2024. Organized in conjunction with the 36th Joint Meeting of the UN Tourism Commission for East Asia and the Pacific & the UN Tourism Commission for South Asia (36th CAP-CSA), it will mark the first time that the Gastronomy Forum is taken to the regional level. First Regional Forum on Gastronomy Forum for Asia and the Pacific Following its global success, the Forum, annually organized by UN Tourism and its Affiliate Member, the Basque Culinary Center (BCC), is now set to make its regional debut. Hosted by the Government of the Philippines, this inaugural regional edition promises to serve as a meeting point for experts and member states dedicated to enhancing the role of gastronomy tourism in destination development. The Forum will host a Ministerial dialogue to discuss policies to advance a roadmap on gastronomy tourism in the region. Underscoring the significance of preserving local traditions and protecting the land and products for the development of sustainable gastronomy tourism, a panel debate will discuss innovative strategies with examples from Japan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The event will also welcome the participation of destinations and experts actively engaged in the advancement of gastronomy tourism as a tool for social inclusiveness, such as UN Tourism Ambassador Chef Margarita Fores, as well as Chef Vicky Cheng from Hong Kong (China); Lionel Dabbadie, the FAO representative for the Philippines, along with representatives from JTB Corporation – the largest travel agency in Japan – and representatives from Jeju Tourism Organization (Republic of Korea), to present on two of the Best …

In keeping their commitment to the digital transformation UN Tourism partnered with UAE to integrate an e-platform for the governing body meetings. Under an agreement announced during the 121st session of the UN Tourism Executive Council, the United Arab Emirates will sponsor the implementation and maintenance of a Mobile Application integrated platform. The platform includes an electronic voting system for the Organization that would be available at the meetings of its Governing Bodies (the General Assembly and the Executive Council) and its subsidiary organs. It also offers other features such as documentation management, online registration process and interactive communication between participants, among other features. The adoption of the new electronic platform sponsored by UAE further underscores UN Tourism’s commitment to the digital transformation of every part of the tourism ecosystem, as well as its ongoing focus on promoting innovation and modernizing its processes. UN Tourism will make use of a new electronic voting system for the meetings of its key statutory meetings and other meetings of its Governing Bodies.  

UN Tourism has presented a new volume of its “Tourism Doing Business: Investment Guidelines”, this time with a focus on the investment potential of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The report was launched at the Conference “Investing in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Financing”, part of the 50th UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East. Elaborated in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan, the guide provides a comprehensive overview of the socioeconomic reality of the Kingdom, its tourism performance, and investment opportunities. In front of an audience composed of high-level officials, investors, and experts from across the region, UN Tourism highlighted the appealing value proposal of the country, which counts with globally recognized UNESCO World Heritage sites, a New Wonder of the World, Petra, and unique natural attractions with celebrated therapeutic benefits. H.E. Mr. Makram Queisi, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, affirmed: “One of Jordan’s driving forces of recovery is the active and solid partnership we have with the private sector. The government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has embarked on legislative reforms targeting investment as a whole by introducing a new investment law and also significant reforms in the tourism law. These reforms are the result of direct and continuous dialogue with the private sector. We are taking solid steps into transforming Jordan into a haven for investors, and with the help of our formidable partnership with UN Tourism and the introduction of the UN Tourism investment guide of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan we are on the right track”. Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director, who presented the report’s content at the conference, stated: “Jordan …

Last year, the travel and tourism sector in Saudi Arabia grew over 32% to contribute a record-breaking SAR 444.3BN to Saudi’s GDP, representing 11.5% of the entire economy. This exceeded the previous record by almost 30% and underscores the sector’s pivotal new role in the nation’s economic framework. The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has revealed a record-breaking year for travel & tourism in Saudi Arabia, with new records in GDP contribution, sector jobs and visitor spend. Saudi Arabia’s travel & tourism sector is now soaring past all previous records, testament to the country’s commitment to becoming a global tourism hot spot. Jobs supported by the sector grew by 436,000 to reach more than 2.5MN, representing almost one in five jobs in the country. Although the jobs lost during the pandemic were fully recovered in 2022, today’s announcement shows sector employment in Travel & Tourism has increased almost 24% since the previous peak. International visitor spending surged by almost 57% to reach SAR 227.4BN, breaking the previous record by SAR 93.6BN, while domestic visitor spending grew by 21.5% to reach SAR 142.5BN. Seven years ahead of its target, Saudi Arabia welcomed 100MN tourists in 2023. Today, the country is surging toward even greater heights and has set a more ambitious aim of attracting 150MN tourists by 2030. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said; “Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism sector’s extraordinary achievements last year mark a pivotal moment in its journey towards becoming a global tourism leader. “This success is a direct result of the Kingdom’s visionary commitment to the sector, showcasing an impressive fusion of cultural heritage and innovative tourism initiatives. As the sector continues …

The Middle East saw the strongest relative growth, with international arrivals exceeding by 36% pre-pandemic levels in Q1 2024, or 4% above Q1 2023. This follows an extraordinary performance in 2023, when the Middle East became the first world region to recover pre-pandemic numbers (+22%). UN Tourism shared that international tourist arrivals reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter of 2024. According to UN Tourism, more than 285 million tourists travelled internationally in January-March, about 20% more than the first quarter of 2023, underscoring the sector’s near-complete recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. In 2023 international tourist arrivals recovered 89% of 2019 levels and export revenues from tourism 96%, while direct tourism GDP reached the same levels as in 2019. UN Tourism’s projection for 2024 points to a full recovery of international tourism with arrivals growing 2% above 2019 levels. In line with this, the newest data released by the UN specialized agency for tourism show that: Yet it also recalls the need to ensure adequate tourism policies and destination management, aiming to advance sustainability and inclusion, while addressing the externalities and impact of the sector on resources and communities Europe, the world’s largest destination region, exceeded pre-pandemic levels in a quarter for the first time (+1% from Q1 2019). The region recorded 120 million international tourists in the first three months of the year, backed by robust intra-regional demand. Africa welcomed 5% more arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 than in Q1 2019, and 13% more than in Q1 2023. The Americas practically recovered pre-pandemic numbers this first quarter, with arrivals reaching 99% of 2019 levels. International tourism is experiencing a rapid recovery in Asia and the Pacific …

The importance of the unified tourist visa for the GCC countries, which is scheduled to come into force at the end of this year, and its role in contributing to supporting the process of sustainable and comprehensive economic development, was highlighted at the Regional Committee for the Middle East of the United Nations Tourism Organisation in Qatar. The meeting included constructive discussions on tourism investments and means of financing, by stressing that Qatar is characterized by having an attractive investment environment for local and foreign investors, thanks to economic stability capable of withstanding challenges and achieving growth in GDP. Qatar has seen the establishment of more than 800 new businesses and the implementation of 135 FDI projects with a total value of $29.78 billion. In addition, Qatar Tourism is keen to achieve service excellence in all aspects of the tourism sector through close cooperation with public and private sector institutions in the country, which contributed to providing an attractive and exceptional experience for visitors. Qatar Tourism, chaired by HE President of Qatar Tourism Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, is participating in the fiftieth meeting of the Regional Committee for the Middle East of the United Nations Tourism Organization, which was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and will continue until the 24th of this month. At the end of the meeting yesterday, it was announced that Qatar will host the next meeting of the Committee in its fifty-first edition. The selection of Doha to host the next meeting is an affirmation of Qatar’s role as a regional and global hub in cultural, economic and political exchange, thus enhancing cooperation between countries and contributing to the development of international relations, thus …

Saudi Arabia has made unprecedented strides in its tourism sector, setting a remarkable milestone with total spending by inbound visitors reaching 135 billion riyals in 2023. Inbound visitors spending in 2023 reached 135 billion SAR, marking the Kingdom’s highest ever spending by inbound visitors with a growth of 42.8% compared to inbound visitors spending in 2022. Furthermore, data from SAMA showed that in 2023, the Kingdom achieved a surplus of 48 billion riyals in travel account, reflecting a growth rate of nearly 38% compared to the surplus recorded in 2022. The notable surge in spending by inbound visitors is part of the successive achievements in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector. Particularly noteworthy is Saudi Arabia’s leadership position on the UN Tourism’s list of large tourist destinations, showcasing significant growth in the number of international visitors in 2023 compared to 2019. As highlighted in the UN Tourism Barometer report released in January 2024, the Kingdom witnessed a remarkable 56% increase in inbound visitors in 2023 compared to 2019. Furthermore, there was a noteworthy recovery of 156% in the number of inbound visitors in 2023 compared to 2019, indicating a robust resurgence in the Kingdom’s tourism industry. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia has garnered widespread international recognition from the UN Tourism and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) for surpassing 100 million inbound and domestic tourists in 2023. Both organizations have praised the significant efforts undertaken in the Kingdom’s tourism sector.