DOHA AS an official member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) recently participated in ‘The thirty-seventh meeting of UNWTO Commission for the Middle East’ held in Manama, Bahrain.
The Qatar delegation was headed by Chairman of QTA Eng Issa al Mohannadi.
Attended by scores of ministers, policy makers and industry leaders, the event was organised in conjunction with the International Conference on ‘Exploring new cultural horizons for Tourism’ under the patronage of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa and Bahrain’s Ministry of Culture.
The Conference helped to identify innovative means to widen communities’ involvement in the development of tourism products based on cultural heritage assets that can lead to new socio-economic opportunities for all through responsible tourism development.
Mohannadi said, “As QTA steers Qatar to become a leading worldclass hub for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions’ (MICE) sector, the country continues to garner momentum for quality and excellence in staging and developing sustainable events on the account of its first-rate infrastructure.
“The thirty-seventh meeting of UNWTO Commission for the Middle East is a vital platform that fosters productive dialogue that is an essential requisite to devise proper forward-looking and tangible industry solutions. For us at QTA, this is a defining pillar for the development of solid, ethical and responsible fundamentals to ensure that our cultural assets are responsibly managed for tourism.” The event featured discussions on promoting tourism investments in the region, visa facilitation and preparations for the 20th session of the General Assembly slated to be held in Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe from August 24 to 29.
The UNWTO’s forecast study ‘Tourism Towards 2030’ reveals that growth in international tourism will continue at a moderate pace with the number of international tourist arrivals increasing to 43 million a year on average and climbing to 1.8 billion by 2030. The Middle East region is expected to capture 8 percent of the 1.8 billion with a steady growth of 4 million tourist arrivals per year.
Strategy Advisor at QTA Hassan al Ibrahim said, “We have lately shared our new planned strategy with the UNWTO, which imparted its invaluable insights on best practices in tourism, with a particular focus on the industry’s long-term impact on our nation’s economy, human capital and environment.
Qatar’s tourism is already one of the most dynamic landscapes owing to the efforts of our government, which are geared towards carving a solid presence for Qatar on the global tourism chart.” Earlier this year, Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) took part in Abu Dhabi’s Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) and ITB Berlin, two of the world’s most sought-after annual industry happenings.
QTA aims to position Qatar as a destination where ‘East meets West’, fusing heritage with modernity and offering both tradition and global innovation. Efforts are continuously made to promote Qatar as a world-class tourism destination for business, culture, leisure, sport and education and to showcase the country’s unique traditions and tourist attractions.
Combining exhibitions, events and tourism under the same authority enables QTA to create a unique tourism strategy, offering a business-oriented destination with luxury hospitality and award-winning facilities.
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