Doha: Qatar was reelected as a member of the Credentials Committee of the Middle East region during the 20th UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly meeting held recently.
A delegation comprising members of Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) returned after their successful participation in the meeting.
“The Qatari presence at the 20th UNWTO General Assembly resulted in excellent insights and relationship building with peers in the global tourism industry. These meetings also serve as an opportunity to communicate the excellent results we are achieving in raising the level of tourism in Qatar,” said Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi, Chairman of QTA.
“We are able to benchmark ourselves against our peers while also participating in debates and exchanges on some of the most pressing issues facing our industry. The future is bright for us, and we look forward to continued multi-lateral opportunities for dialogue.”
QTA’s participation in the General Assembly meetings followed the recent agreement signed by QTA and UNWTO to develop Qatar’s tourism policies and procedures in line with international best practices. The agreement will also see UNWTO update and create benchmarked processes within QTA.
Based on international benchmark standards, the UNWTO and QTA shall develop a consistent and locally relevant monitoring and quality control system across the wide range of tourism activities described under Law 6 of 2012, described as the “Tourism Law.”
The meeting saw the largest participation ever, with 121 member states in attendance. Delegates discussed three key challenges facing international tourism and urged decision-makers to address them. The first challenge is visa facilitation, which can hinder or enable the flow of travel and tourism.
The second challenge is the creation of connectivity and harmony between tourism policies and travel policies. The third challenge is the continuous rise in travel taxes
Qatar’s tourism industry and society in general has witnessed a leap forward, which has drawn attention from around the globe to Qatar.
In a short period of time much momentum has been gathered in tourism and across society. Today, Qatar is a fast growing market by any measure — recently upgraded to emerging market status by MSCI, having among the highest per capita GDP in the world, the tourism sector growing by double digits last year and at a rate of 13 percent in the first quarter of 2013 over the same period 2012.
Tourism activities in the Middle East grew by 11 percent despite the conditions in the region. Most of the growth was registered by the GCC countries, especially Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Tourism rates in other parts of the Middle East dropped due to political circumstances.
The Peninsula
