UNWTO Regional capacity building workshop on

Sustainable Development and Management of Tourism

in Environmentally Sensitive areas

 

3-7 December 2011

Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

PR No.: PR 11091

“The on-going changes in the Middle East and North Africa bring enormous opportunities,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, opening the event. “Rule of law and democracy will empower local communities, opening the door for these to be better engaged in the process of tourism development. There will surely be a more transparent business environment, increased support for smaller businesses, as well as stronger regional integration and cooperation.”

Participants recalled that countries in the region were facing what many others had previously experienced and benefited from – the process of transition into a democratic state.

Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Nayef Al Fayez, highlighted the on-going investment projects in the country, as well as the efforts to ensure that the benefits of tourism spill down to the community level. ”Communities are the first to be affected when tourism demand falls and this is why we need to support them,” he said. 

Mehdi Houas, the Minister of Tourism of Tunisia, stressed that the country is looking to position its culture, history and people at the center of tourism development and promotion.  

For Egypt, where tourism numbers this year are expected to have fallen by between 20 and 25% compared to 2010, the Minister of Tourism, Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour, said the country was “committed to tourism as a sector which contributes 12% of national GDP.”

Misperception was highlighted as one of the most pressing challenges, with participants stressing that the Middle East should not be seen as one block but rather as different countries with different realities and challenges.

Close cooperation between the public and private sectors was pointed out as one of the keys for success in the destinations of the Emirates and one of the ways to reinforce the growth of tourism in the region.

“The Middle East is rich in culture and people; the sector has been expanding in terms of infrastructure and air capacity. If we work together there is an incredible future for the region,” said Guy Crawford, Chief Executive Officer of the Jumeirah Group in Dubai.

The UNWTO/ATM debate on the Future of Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa set the scene for a new UNWTO/ATM Forum to be held on 30 April 2012 in Dubai in the framework of the Arabian Travel Market (30 April-2 May).

“We expect that the UNWTO and ATM forum will have a significant and positive effect on regional collaboration to sustain growth in the travel and tourism sector here,” concluded Mark Walsh, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.”

 

Useful links:

New UNWTO/ATM Forum to support highly successful UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit

 

Contacts:

World Tourism Organization

Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60

 

Communications Programme

Tel: +34 91-567-8100

Fax: +34 91-567-8218

 

Arabian Travel Market
Nathalie Viselé

Director

Shamal Marketing Communications

Dubai Media City, UAE

Office: +971 4 3652711 I

Cell: +971 50 4576525

 

PR No.: PR 11088

The UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market 2011, the leading global event for the travel sector, is the fifth consecutive edition of this unique event for the world’s tourism ministers to discuss the state of the sector and agree on common strategies to address on-going challenges.

It is now a firm fixture on the tourism ministers’ calendar, with up to 200 ministers and senior aides attending the 2011 UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit discussing issues such as the impact of fiscal consolidation on tourism in Europe or the future of travel in the Middle East and North Africa.

The UNWTO & ATM Forum at the Arabian Travel Market on Monday 30 April 2012, will play a similar role in bringing together the leaders of the region for the increasingly important Middle Eastern travel and tourism sector.

Reed Travel Exhibitions’ Group Exhibition Director, Mark Walsh, said:  “The growth in tourism arrivals since the turn of the century means a forum of this kind is essential for both tourism ministers and the private sector to discuss future possibilities. As the premier travel trade exhibition for the region, ATM is the only place to host such an event.”

The Middle East has been one of the fastest growing tourism regions this last decade. International tourist arrivals grew from 24 million in 2000 to more than 60 million in 2010, generating as much as US $50 billion in export earnings for the destinations in the region.

UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, said: “In spite of current challenges, prospects in the Middle East continue to be very positive in the long-term, as shown by the new UNWTO forecast Tourism Towards 2030 as well as by the projects of infrastructure, airline expansion and hotel capacity in the pipeline for the region.”

The conclusions from the UNWTO & ATM event on The Future of Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa, taking place at WTM on Wednesday 9 November will set the agenda for the first UNWTO & ATM Forum next May.

High-profile speakers at the event at WTM include:

 

Mr. Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour, Minister of Tourism of Egypt

Mr. Ahmed A. Al-Nuaimi, Chairman, Qatar Tourism Authority

Mr. Mehdi Houas, Minister of Tourism of Tunisia

Mr. Guy Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Jumeirah Group Dubai

Mr. Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President, International & Public Affairs, Etihad Airways

Mr. Tony Hopkins, UK Customer Director, Thomas Cook

Mr. Ghassan Aridi, Chief Executive Officer, Alpha Tours Dubai

Mr. Taleb Rifai, Secretary-General, UNWTO

RTE representatives will be Simon Press, Exhibition Director World Travel Market, Lucie James, Marketing Manager Arabian Travel Market and Nadège Noblet, Regional Account Manager Middle East, North Africa & Hotel Companies Arabian Travel Market

 

 

Contacts:

World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

Poeta Joan Maragall, 42 - 28020 Madrid - SPAIN

Tel: +34 91-567-8100

Fax: +34 91-567-8218

comm@UNWTO.org

 

 

Reed Travel Exhibitions

 

 

PR No.: PR11045

Prime Minister Sharaf confirmed the strategic importance of tourism for the country’s economic recovery and social stability, especially in the current transition period. “We appreciate your visit and support; tourism is a critical activity for Egypt,” he said. “This is a time for action which will help us get through the current bottleneck; the more we do together, the better,” he added.

“International tourists are slowly beginning to return to Egypt. The sector is a lifeline for our economy and in 2010 accounted for 11.5% of our GDP and US$ 13 billion in revenues. We count on UNWTO and WTTC for the right advice and support,” said the Minister of Tourism, Mounir Fakhri Abdel-Nour.

Mr. Rifai praised the high political support shown for tourism; the principal foreign exchange earner and a leading job creator in Egypt. “Tourism is clearly seen as a national priority involving all areas of public policy and thus can be a major contributor to consolidate the transition,” he said. “Moreover, throughout my visit it has been very clear that the Egyptian tourism sector is fully operational and ready to receive visitors,” he added.

 

 

 Mr. Scowsill also highlighted the importance of close collaboration between global public and private tourism players, along with the need to clearly communicate the stability in the country. “Egyptian tourism has recovered quickly from setbacks in the past, and it is good to see that visitors are now coming back. Given the current difficulties in the region, it is important for the industry to get a clear message out that the new Egypt is stable and open for business,” he said.

In his meetings with tourism stakeholders, Mr. Rifai underscored the importance of the backing of the international community to Egypt, both politically and financially, as witnessed by the recent announcements of the G8 and the World Bank to commit substantial funds for the country. “Egypt is not only the leading tourism destination in the region, but also a central piece for its political and economic stability,” he said.

Note to Editors:

14 million international tourists visited Egypt in 2010, generating nearly US$13 billion in international tourism receipts. These receipts represent around 6% of the country’s GDP and over 11% when the full sector is considered. International tourist arrivals saw a decline of 45%in the first quarter of 2011.

Relevant links:

International Tourism: First results of 2011 confirm consolidation of growth

 

Media contacts:

UNWTO Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
www.UNWTO.org

WTTC Communications Executive: Anja Eckervogt
Tel: (+44) 20 7481 6484
www.WTTC.org
 

PR No.: PR11036

During his visit, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai met Interim President Fouad Mebazaa, the Minister of Tourism, Mehdi Houas as well as representatives from the private sector to discuss the best ways to support tourism in Tunisia. Issues discussed include the new advertising campaign to be launched by the Ministry of Tourism in early May, travel advisories and public and private partnerships.

President Fouad Mebazaa underlined the importance of tourism to Tunisia as a “basic sector of the country’s economy”. Meeting President Mebazaa, UNWTO Secretary-General showed confidence in the rebound of tourism and in the future of the country. “Remarkable changes have occurred in Tunisia and the future is bright”, he said.

During a joint press conference with the Minister of Tourism, Mehdi Houas, UNWTO Secretary-General expressed his full support to the Tunisian tourism sector. “Tunisia is, and will continue to be, a leading tourism destination. Tourism is not in crisis in Tunisia, rather it is living the natural impact of the significant changes that have occurred in the country”, said Mr. Rifai. “It is now time to show the world the real situation of Tunisia and the world will see that Tunisia is ready to receive its visitors”.

Furthermore, UNWTO Secretary-General warned against the temptation of short term recovery measures based on lower prices and stressed that medium and long term prospects for the tourism sector in Tunisia are even more positive than before. “The new environment”, he said, “can create new open and transparent conditions for investment in tourism, namely foreign investment, and unlock significant local business potential”.

UNWTO support to Tunisia will include technical meetings of the Tourism Recovery Task Force created by the Ministry of Tourism with UNWTO experts on communication, the holding of a workshop in Tunes for public and private sector representatives on recovery techniques and the organization of a major tourism international conference in Tunisia in the last quarter of 2011.

Representing 6.5% of the country’s GDP and accounting for 450.000 jobs, tourism is a key driver of the economy in Tunisia and will play a critical role in its socio-economic stability and future development. In 2010, Tunisia received nearly 7 million international tourist arrivals, generating US$ 2.7 billion in export revenues. During the first three months of 2011, international tourist arrivals decreased by 44% and receipts by 43%.

Contacts:

Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
mrisi@UNWTO.org – www.UNWTO.org

UNWTO Communications Programme
Tel: +34 91-567-8100
Fax: +34 91-567-8218
comm@UNWTO.org