DOHA: Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) yesterday launched a campaign inviting private sector stakeholders in Qatar to sign the Private Sector Commitment to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
In signing the commitment, stakeholders pledge to implement ethical principles of the code in their policies and operations. The code is UNWTO’s core policy document that serves as a blueprint for the development of sustainable tourism.
Adopted in 1999 by the UNWTO General Assembly and endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2001, it guides the development of tourism in a way that maximises socio-economic benefits of the sector, while mitigating any negative impacts on society. As of last November, 187 tourism associations across the world signed to code.
Hassan Abdulrahman Al Ibrahim, QTA Strategy Development Director and Head of Tourism Industry Development Committee, stressed the importance of the commitment to the code. “The code sets out obligations with respect to visitors and the tourism industry, including respecting diverse cultures, facilitating visitors’ access to information needed during their visit, creating a safe environment, and protecting visitors in crisis situations.
“Sustainability, enrichment of society, and environmental protection are among the important principles the code champions and urges stakeholders to adopt.
“This is in harmony with the National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030 to be launched soon through which we will work with stakeholders to develop the tourism sector to play an active role in our society and the national economy.”
The code states that tourists should be informed of social traditions and encouraged to respect them in the host country. It renounces internationally unacceptable practices and behaviours, such as using tourism for illegal purposes.
The code also focuses on tourism as a vehicle for individual and collective fulfilment, where tourism is associated with entertainment, leisure, and sport, offering access to new cultures and natural habitat. QTA’s campaign to encourage local tourism professionals to sign the code is part of a 17-month agreement with UNWTO, which involves the organisation updating and creating benchmarked processes within QTA.
Collaboration extends to development of a consistent and locally relevant monitoring and quality control system across tourism activities described in Law 6 of 2012, also known as the Tourism Law. In the second phase of the agreement with UNWTO that will soon be implemented, benchmarks and standards for the MICE industry in Qatar will be set, along with a plan to increase tourism training and education.
The Peninsula
