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.
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 joined Qatar Tourism for the launch of the 2nd edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards at Rexios Premium Qetaifan Island North in Doha. This initiative celebrates excellence in the tourism sector, recognizing outstanding achievements, innovations and individuals that contribute to making Qatar a top global destination.
UN Tourism Director of Technical Cooperation, Mr. Jaime Mayaki, joined the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Tourism, Mr. Omar Abdulrahman Al Jaber, for this announcement during the official press conference attended by several media representatives, sector stakeholders, and key government officials, including the CEO of Visit Qatar, Mr. Abdulaziz Al Mawlawi. The launching of the 2nd edition highlights the collaboration efforts between our two entities in promoting excellence in tourism development in Qatar.
We invite key tourism stakeholders in Qatar to submit their applications in this link (deadline: 8 August 2024)
UN Tourism’s Member States in the Middle East have looked to the future, coming together to focus on boosting investments into the sector and growing new products to build resilience and expand inclusivity.
The Regional Commission for the Middle East welcomed high-level delegations from 13 Member States, including eight Ministers of Tourism. Welcoming delegates, UN Tourism Secretary-General invited all Members to join him in celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Commission, noting that, over the course of 50 meetings, they have worked together to grow tourism both in size and in impact right across the region.
Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili provided Members with an update on the Organization’s work since the Commission last met (Jordan, June 2023), with special attention to key priorities of tourism education, jobs and investments. Opening the meeting he said: “Now, we can confidently say that the Middle East is a true global tourism leader. Not just in terms of arrivals, but the region is influencing our sector’s development everywhere in the world. It is a hub of tourism innovation and education. And it is a leading investor, backing big ideas and ambitious projects with the power to transform tourism at every level.”
Now, we can confidently say that the Middle East is a true global tourism leader. Not just in terms of arrivals, but the region is influencing our sector’s development everywhere in the world
Following the reports of the Secretary-General and the Regional Director for the Middle East, the focus switched to building a more diverse, resilient and innovative sector. Reflecting UN Tourism’s commitment to build resilience and create opportunities through diversification, the significant potential of wellness tourism for the region was made clear. So too was the growing importance of gastronomy tourism as a pillar of rural development and cultural heritage. In Muscat, Secretary-General Pololikashvili formally presented the Omani Minister of Tourism and Heritage with a brochure on Gastronomy Tourism in the Sultanate.
Also high on the agenda were education and investments. The Middle East has emerged as a leading hub of both. With UN Tourism, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking the lead in providing professional education and training to tens of thousands of tourism workers, including at the new Riyadh School of Hospitality. The region is also an investment hub, with 254 greenfield projects announced in the Middle East between 2018 and 2023, representing a total capital investment of USD 15.2 billion. Reflecting this, the second day of the Commission will feature a special Conference on "Investing in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Financing.”
In the build-up to the commission meeting, His Highness Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al-Said, Deputy Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers of Sultanate of Oman, held a special audience with the UN Tourism Secretary-General and with the Heads of delegations. His Excellency welcomed the opportunity to host the landmark 50th meeting of the Regional Commission, as well as its first since the rebranding of UNWTO to UN Tourism.
To conclude, Members agreed that the 51st Regional Commission for the Middle East will be held in Doha, Qatar, in 2025.
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 offers a one-of-a-kind tourism proposition with a rich umbrella of options that include seven subsectors such as medical and wellness tourism, film tourism, business or agritourism. This diverse offer is paired with institutional stability, strategic policymaking, and a robust recovery of post-pandemic tourism figures."
Jordan is a global destination that has shown its tourism resilience through its outstanding performance during 2023.
Some key insights in the "Tourism Doing Business – Investing in Jordan" report include:
The Jordanian economy has experienced a steady growth rate of 2.2% and has kept inflation stable at an average rate of 2.1% over the past decade. IMF projections suggest that Jordan's GDP recorded a 2.6% increase in 2023, and it is expected to grow by 2.6% in 2024 and 3.0% in 2025.
In 2023, tourism generated USD 7.4 billion of foreign inflows, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 28%, and confirmed its role as one of the main sources of income to the economy and motor for the country's GDP growth.
The guidelines also provide a detailed analysis of the investment outlook and greenfield investment dynamics. When it comes to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), FDI inflows surged by 83% in 2022, reaching the mark of USD 1.1 billion, which nearly matches the country's 10-year average inflow. A trend that seems to have continued into 2023.
The country is also implementing a series of strategies to strengthen its competitiveness and investment frameworks and to support the growing innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem: the Economic Modernization Vision (2023 – 2030), the Investment Promotion Strategy (2023 – 2026), and the Jordan National Tourism Strategy (2021 – 2025). These initiatives are projected to attract additional investments of around USD 3.8 billion in the tourism sector by 2033.
Basmah Al-Mayman, Regional Director for the Middle East, said: "Supported by sizeable investments, tourism diverse products and Jordan's natural beauty, tourism can be an engine of job creation and growth in the country. Tourism investment offers opportunities for economic diversification and market-creation when effectively managed".
Public-private partnerships can stimulate investment into tourism and help drive the sector’s transformation across the Middle East.
Recognizing the growing status of the region as a global investment powerhouse, UN Tourism brought key figures together for a special conference on "Investing in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Financing". Held within the framework of the UN Tourism 50th Regional Commission for the Middle East, the conference served as a platform m to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to financing the tourism sector in a sustainable way, with a special focus on innovation, technology and education.
The conference built on the massive momentum gaining around tourism in the region, including in the area of investments. According to UN Tourism data:
Opening the conference, H.E. Salim Mohammed Al Mahruqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism for Oman, acknowledged the importance of investments for growing tourism both in the Sultanate and across the Middle East and for building a more resilient and sustainable sector at every level.
UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona, who gave a keynote speech outlining investment trends and opportunities in the region, said: "The Middle East now stands as a beacon of tourism innovation and investments. The region invested almost USD 14 billion in the sector over the past 5 years, with USD 341 million of this invested in tourism tech, demonstrating the region's commitment to building a more digital and impactful sector."
Panel discussions focused on some of the key priorities for stimulating and targeting tourism investments in the region, including effective partnerships, enhancing financial confidence and offering guarantees, and introducing greater innovation into financing mechanisms.
The high-level talks brought together the Ministers of Tourism from Oman, as well as Egypt, Jordan, alongside the President of Qatar Tourism and leading figures from destination management, investments and financing. Represented at the conference were the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority, Oman Development Bank, the Central Bank of Oman, Investments of Future Fund Oman, the Authority for SME Development of Oman, the Fujairah Adventure Center, and Ahli Islamic.
At the start of the conference, UN Tourism officially launched the newest edition of its growing portfolio of Tourism Doing Business investment guidelines. Focused on Jordan, the publication serves as a guide for investors, outlining the potential of the Kingdom's tourism sector as well as key considerations related to foreign investments.
UN Tourism has unveiled its pioneering digital self-assessment tool designed to progress tourism development in rural areas.
The UN Tourism Self-assessment Tool to Assist Rural Destinations, STAR, allows local public authorities in rural destinations to self-evaluate and measure their level of tourism development. It also provides tailored recommendations, benchmarking different destinations and generating valuable data and insights for Member States to enhance sustainable and inclusive tourism policies.
Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UN Tourism, says: "The UN Tourism Self-assessment Tool is a game-changer for rural destinations. It empowers local authorities with a tool that allows them to self-evaluate their policies and actions, providing actionable insights fostering sustainable tourism development, and contributing to the overall growth of rural communities."
It empowers local authorities with a tool that allows them to self-evaluate their policies and actions, providing actionable insights fostering sustainable tourism development, and contributing to the overall growth of rural communities.
The tool is available for all rural destinations in UN Tourism Member States. It is open to local authorities interested in measuring their tourism development and getting a tailored recommendation guide to implement a sustainable, inclusive, and smart tourism model for their destinations. The key features of STAR include:
STAR is part of the work of Tourism for Rural Development by UN Tourism. The Programme envisions tourism as a driver of rural development and well-being, valuing and safeguarding rural villages, landscapes, knowledge systems, and cultural diversity. It aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting innovative and transformative approaches to tourism development in rural destinations.
UN Tourism returned the Annual Investment Congress (AIM) to put the focus on innovation and women’s empowerment, and investments in the Middle East.
The tourism landscape of the Middle East is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by strong government support through economic diversification efforts. Tourism has emerged as a strategic sector offering opportunities for job creation, revenue generation, and sustainable growth. In 2023, the Middle East was leading the sector’s global recovery, being the only region to surpass pre-pandemic levels with arrivals reaching 87.1 million international tourists, 22% above 2019 levels.
The region is also performing well on investments: 254 greenfield projects were announced between 2018 to 2023, representing a total capital investment of USD 15.2 billion, and supporting the creation of an estimated 33,690 jobs.
The Middle East is also establishing itself as a global leader in tourism investments, and UN Tourism returned to the AIM Congress to focus on some of the key issues relating to this key priority for the sector: equality and innovation.
"The Middle East is blooming as a destination and as a major player in the global tourism sector. It was the only region where international arrivals last year were actually above pre-pandemic levels, and it's leading the way in greenfield investment projects and in creating jobs. UN Tourism is delighted to be working with the region around our shared priorities", says UN Tourism Executive Director, Natalia Bayona.
On the opening day of the Congress, UN Tourism held a special session centered around two pivotal themes: "Investing in Innovation" and "Enabling Women Entrepreneurs”. Experts provided insights into empowering women entrepreneurs in the tourism sector and investing in the next generation of women in technology to drive sustainable tourism growth.
As part of its commitment to gender equality and empowerment, UN Tourism also launched the second edition of its Women in Tech Startups competition for the region, aiming to recognize and support innovative tech-driven startups led by women entrepreneurs working in three categories: People and Skills, Green Travel Solutions and Market Innovators.
On the second day, the AIM Congress served as a platform for UN Tourism to engage global stakeholders in a discussion surrounding tourism investments in the Middle East. UN Tourism highlighted the importance of tourism trends and sustainable investment practices, discussing policies that support such initiatives and exploring tourism growth in navigating investment horizons.
The session aimed at to provide insights into the evolving tourism landscape of the Middle East, showcasing traditional and non-traditional investment opportunities and emphasizing the region’s growing influence on global tourism investments. As the global tourism landscape evolves, the region plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the sector through its vision, investment initiatives, and strategic partnerships. Participants called for the need of collaborative efforts between governments, private investors, civil society, and local communities to shape a tourism sector that is not only economically successful but also environmentally responsible and socially inclusive.
