UN Tourism Connects Leaders for Investment Conference Focused on Middle East Opportunities

• Middle East
• 23 May 2024

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.

Tourism Investments and the Middle East

The conference built on the massive momentum gaining around tourism in the region, including in the area of investments. According to UN Tourism data:

• 254 announced greenfield projects were announced in the Middle East between 2018 and 2023, representing a total capital investment of USD 15.2 billion (USD 59.8 million/ project). These projects were expecting to create more than 33,600 jobs during the same period (33,629).
• 13 of these greenfield projects were announced in Oman (7 in Muscat and 3 in Zufar, representing a capital investment of USD 1.83 billion.
• Middle East countries have announced 109 greenfield FDI projects abroad in the cluster of tourism, with a total investment of USD 6.8 billion.

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."

Tourism and finance leaders explore key challenges

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.

Related links

• Download News Release on PDF
• Tourism Doing Business
• Investments Strategy
• UN Tourism Regional Department for the Middle East

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UN Tourism launches digital self-assessment tool for rural destinations

• Middle East
• 20 May 2024

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.

STAR available to all rural destinations  

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: 

• Self-Assessment: Rural destinations can self-evaluate their policies and initiatives through a set of indicators covering five areas - Tourism Governance; Economic, Social, and Cultural Sustainability; Environmental Sustainability; Tourism Development; and Infrastructure. This self-assessment tool enables stakeholders to focus on strategic planning, marketing and promotion, training and education, policy-making, diversification of products and services, infrastructure, environmental and cultural preservation, collaboration with local actors, access to financing, data, or measurement of results, among other aspects.  
• Tailored Recommendations: The tool delivers a customized recommendations guide to users with recommendations aligned with UN Tourism standards, considering the unique features of rural destinations. 
• Benchmarking Excellence: Supporting local authorities in benchmarking policies and practices, the tool facilitates the evaluation of destinations across various components. 
• Data and Insights: Providing a wealth of data for Member States, the digital tool enables in-depth analytics on destinations taking the assessment. It sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of local governments in tourism policies, strategies, and interventions, laying the groundwork for enhancements by local, regional, and national authorities in rural areas. 

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. 

Related Links:

• Download News Release on PDF
• Self-assessment Tool to Assist Rural Destinations
• Rural Tourism

UN Tourism Puts Spotlight on Investments and Empowerment at AIM Congress

• Middle East
• 10 May 2024

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. 

Fostering Innovation, Empowering Women Entrepreneurs  

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. 

Tourism Investments in the Middle East chapter 

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.  

Related Links:

• Download News Release on PDF

UN Tourism Launches Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East

• Middle East
• 8 May 2024

UN Tourism has launched the second edition of its Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East. The initiative aims to highlight and support women entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of sustainable tourism and technology across the region.

Applications now Open  

The competition targets startups that are led by women and based in the Middle East. Enterprises must be operating within the tourism sector and related industries, and offer sustainable solutions for people, the planet, and prosperity. They must also be an entrepreneurial project at an early stage, idea stage, or Series A stage of their journey. Applications are open for the following three categories:   

• People and Skills: this category calls for startups with environmental and sustainable approaches in education tech, social connectivity, wellness or health, with cross-cutting benefits with tourism.  
• Green Travel Solutions: for startups that use environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches in green tech, green infrastructure, travel and logistics, urban development or rural development, with cross-cutting benefits with tourism. 
• Market Innovators: for startups working with emergent technologies applied to tourism. 

UN Tourism has welcomed key global and regional partners and ecosystem collaborators to support the winning startups. Almosafer, Plug and Play, AIM, The Bench, Impulse4Women and Bilakatu will be providing visibility, personalized mentorship, consultancy and access to potential investment to the best entrepreneurial solutions. This year's applications will be processed through Plug and Play's open innovation platform, the largest in the world, and the finalists will also be invited to join the global UN Tourism Innovation Network.  

The launch was announced at the AIM Congress, a leading investment platform, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, during a special UN Tourism Investment Forum session on “Investing in Innovation and Enabling Women Entrepreneurs”. 

The second edition follows on from the success of the inaugural initiative, with over 140 startups and SMEs applying from 11 countries. The four winners, Fosha (Egypt), Sparkle Haze (UAE), Plastus Biotech (Saudi Arabia), Xenios Academy (UAE) were announced last year during the celebrations for World Tourism Day on 27 September in Riyadh.  

UN Tourism and Women Empowerment 

UN Tourism is committed to advancing the positive impact of tourism on women's lives, thereby contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 5 - Gender Equality. The organization has been actively supporting women entrepreneurs, working to propel the tourism sector forward and to foster inclusivity.  

UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona says: “It is crucial to empower female entrepreneurs in the Middle East with innovative business proposals that have a component of positive social impact and respect for the environment to support the sustainable development of the growing tourism sector in the region.”  

UN Tourism and Innovation 

Since 2018, UN Tourism has launched more than 25 startup competitions and innovation challenges, covering over 150 countries around the world. With over 20,000 participants and more than 350 top startups mapped with USD 2+ billion in funding, UN Tourism continues its efforts to support digitalization and innovation to advance the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Tourism is a tool for positive transformation and inclusive economic development. 

Related Links:

• Download News Release on PDF
• Women in Tech Startup Competition 2nd Edition

UNWTO Celebrates Qatar Tourism Awards to Recognize Excellence in the Sector

• Middle East
• 10 Nov 2023

UNWTO has joined Qatar Tourism to recognize the individuals and businesses leading the way in building a better sector in the country.

The inaugural Qatar Tourism Awards, developed in partnership with UNWTO, focused on three principal categories: Service Excellence, Cultural Experiences and Smart Solutions. At the awards ceremony, Qatar Tourism Awards also announced a surprise category, the Community Contribution Award, to recognise individual community members who have gone above and beyond to display hospitality and provide exemplary services to visitors.

The winners were announced at a ceremony that took place at Raffles Doha, attended by Basmah Al-Mayman, Regional Director for the Middle East at UNTWO and His Excellency Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism. The winners reflected the broad and diverse nature of the tourism sector, including destinations, experiences, hotels and hospitality establishments. They also recognized those leading the way in building a more innovative and sustainable tourism, in line with UNWTO's key priorities for the sector.

The full list of all the winners can be found on the Qatar Tourism Awards website.

Qatar Tourism Awards

Excellence in the Sector

Qatar Tourism Awards

Excellence in the Sector

Qatar Tourism Awards

Excellence in the Sector

Qatar Tourism Awards

Excellence in the Sector

Related links

• Download News Release on PDF
• Qatar Tourism Awards