UNWTO’s Middle East Members Meet in Jordan

• Middle East
• 7 Jun 2023

Tourism leaders from across the Middle East have met to guide the sector’s development across the region, including as a driver of inclusive employment and rural development.

The 49th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Middle East brought high-level delegations from 12 countries together at the Dead Sea, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to assess the current state of tourism in the region and advance shared plans for its future.

Middle East: First Region to Exceed Pre-Pandemic Levels

For the Middle East, tourism represents an unrivalled driver of employment and opportunity, as well as economic diversification and resilience

According to UNWTO data, the Middle East is the first global region to exceed pre-pandemic numbers of international tourist arrivals so far in 2023.

• Overall, international arrivals to destinations in the Middle East during the first quarter of 2023 were 15% higher than in the same period of 2019
• Jordan welcomed 4.6 million tourists in 2022, close to the 4.8 million recorded in 2019, with receipts from tourism totaling US$5.8 billion for the year
• On the eve of the Regional Commission meeting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein to congratulate him on the "rapid and remarkable" recovery of Jordanian tourism. The Secretary-General also commended the strong support shown to tourism by the Jordanian Royal Family and the Government, including for ongoing work to diversify the sector.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "Tourism has shown its resilience in the face of crisis. And now, recovery is well underway – with all the challenges and opportunities this brings. For the Middle East, tourism represents an unrivalled driver of employment and opportunity, as well as economic diversification and resilience."

UNWTO Supports Members' Priorities in the Middle East

Participants, representing 12 of the 13 UNWTO Member States in the region, and including 7 Ministers of Tourism, benefitted from a comprehensive overview of the Organization's progress achieving its Programme of Work.:

• Education: Members were given an overview of UNWTO's work to advance one of its key priorities for tourism. Key achievements include an agreement signed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop tourism education, including through online courses with the potential to reach up to 300 million people worldwide, and the Jobs Factory, linking 50 employers with 100,000 jobseekers. UNWTO is also launching a first Undergraduate Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management and developing plans to make tourism a high school subject.
• Tourism for Rural Development: The UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is growing as a global hub of tourism for rural development. Members were updated on its work, including the Best Tourism Villages initiative, which is welcoming applications for its third edition.
• Innovation: UNWTO is working with its Members to make the Middle East a hub of tourism innovation. Recent initiatives include the Women in Tech Start-Up Competition for the Middle East, aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs across the region, and the Tourism Tech Adventures forum held in Qatar.

Looking Ahead

In line with UNWTO's statutory obligations, Members from the Middle East agreed:

• Jordan will serve as the Chair of the Commission for the Middle East for the period 2023 to 2025. Egypt and Kuwait will serve as the Vice Chairs.
• The Commission will meet in Oman for its 50th meeting.

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• UNWTO Regional Department for Middle East
• Best Tourism Villages
• Tourism on Track for Full Recovery as New Data Shows Strong Start to 2023
• UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East

UNWTO Hosts Executive Training on Tourism for Rural Development in Middle East

• Middle East
• 12 May 2023

As part of work on tourism for rural development, UNWTO has concluded its first Executive Training for the Middle East Programme.

Under the theme 'Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development', the three-day session was held at the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh to address the underlying needs for continuous skills development for ensuring up to date learning, adaptation, and innovation.

Sultan AlMusallam, Deputy Minister for International Affairs, Saudi Ministry of Tourism said: "This training programme demonstrates how determined and keen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNWTO are to promote the role of the Regional Office for the Middle East, and to provide every support and assistance possible to the Member States of the Organization in the region." 

Opening the programme, Zoritsa Urosevic, UNWTO Executive Director said: "In the post-pandemic world, the role of tourism in rural development is more relevant than ever. Rural tourism has a high potential to empower local communities, stimulate local economic growth and social change."  

"Our Member States see rural tourism as a priority and we trust this training will support them for continuous learning, adaptation, and innovation. It aims to provide them with the adequate knowledge and capacities to plan and manage tourism in rural territories in a way that contributes to inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development," she added. 

Building skills to support tourism and rural development   

The training session was aimed at managers in charge of rural tourism in National Tourism Administrations from across the region. Around 35 participants from 10 countries joined present, representing Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. 
  
Sessions focused on issues such as incorporating sustainability dimensions in tourism planning, setting indicators to measure rural tourism strategies, dealing with the specificities of the rural tourism offer and demand, understanding the concept of community engagement through community-based tourism and conducting practical exercises on experiences related to gastronomy, adventure, cultural and ecotourism. 

UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme  

The UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme was designed with the vision of making tourism a driver of rural development and well-being. It aims to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural territories along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, natural and cultural diversity, local values, and activities. The Programme also aims to promote innovative and transformative approaches for the development of tourism in rural destinations that contribute to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environmental – in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO
• UNWTO Regional Department for the Middle East
• Rural Tourism

UNWTO Launch Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East

• Middle East
• 16 Mar 2023

UNWTO has launched a new Startup Competition to support women tourism tech entrepreneurs and innovators across the Middle East.

Announced at Biban 2023, Saudi Arabia's largest SME conference, the Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East, will further advance UNWTO's work to make tourism a pillar of women's empowerment. The initiative gives innovators the chance to compete for enhanced capacity building and visibility. Finalists in each category will join the UNWTO Innovation Network, giving them access to the UNWTO Member States network, mentorship programs and to UNWTO scholarship opportunities.

Tourism startups are also leading the way in advancing women empowerment, in the Middle East and globally, and UNWTO is delighted to support the region’s best innovators and digital entrepreneurs

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, says: "Tourism startups have the power and agility to transform the sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Tourism startups are also leading the way in advancing women empowerment, in the Middle East and globally, and UNWTO is delighted to support the region's best innovators and digital entrepreneurs."

Who can apply?

• Startups must be led, owned or managed by women residing in any of the following countries: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.
• Idea Stage, Early Stage or Series A startups with a minimum viable product or idea that is ready to be developed and funded.
• Have a full-time team, a tested pilot and business plan.
• Be scalable with potential for international growth.

Startups must also belong to at least one of the following categories:

• Social Impact: For startups that focus on technology in wellness, health, urban development, rural development, sustainability, and education with cross-cutting benefits with tourism.
•  Tourism and Travel Experience: Startups focusing on the food and beverage, transportation and accommodation, travel, and retail industries to participate. 
• Future Tech: Startups that leverage fintech, AI, AR/VR, cryptocurrency, Internet of Things, blockchain technology, digital twinning and the Metaverse.
• Events and Community: Startups focused on social and messaging platforms, e-sports and gaming platforms, community-based applications, events-related platforms, and education technology.

Applications close at the end of July 2023 and the winners will be announced at the Tourism Tech Adventure (TTA), to be held on World Tourism Day (27 September Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). 

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• UNWTO Women in Tech Startup Competition: Middle East
• Innovation and Investment
• UNWTO Tourism Startup Competitions

UNWTO and Innovation

Since 2018, UNWTO’s IEI department has launched more than 21 startup competitions and innovation challenges, covering over 150 countries around the world. With over 10,000 participants and more than US$214 million in funding, UNWTO continues its efforts to support digitalization and innovation in line with the global entrepreneurship ecosystem. Tourism has the opportunity to improve inclusiveness, local community development, and resource efficiency by leveraging innovation and digital advancements.

For more information, please contact:
Rosalia Galan - Communications Expert | IEI - UNWTO Regional Office Middle East
rgalan@unwto.org | +966 555908142
Lara Kabbara - Administrative Associate | IEI UNWTO Regional Office Middle East
lkabbara@unwto.org | +966 508887969

UNWTO and Saudi Arabia Partner to Boost Education and Training in Tourism

• Middle East
• 8 Mar 2023

UNWTO and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will work together to promote education and professional development in tourism.

Education and Training: A Priority for Tourism

As the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO has identified education as one of its key priorities for the sector. While tourism is already a leading employer and a top provide of opportunity, most notably for women and youth, UNWTO is working to expand access to education, training and jobs and to support those already working in the sector to develop professionally.

We are working to break down barriers between jobs, skills and training and so deliver on tourism’s massive potential as an employer

UNWTO’s Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili notes: “Our vision is to provide anyone interested in the tourism sector access to the many and varied opportunities it offers, no matter where they are in the world. We are working to break down barriers between jobs, skills and training and so deliver on tourism’s massive potential as an employer.”

Saudi Minister of Tourism, H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, says “Investing in human capital development is an investment in all our futures. This is a landmark agreement that prioritizes people with a focus on the power of e-learning. Collaborating with UNWTO, we can ensure that development opportunities are accessible worldwide, building the workforce necessary to support a thriving and sustainable future for the sector.”

UNWTO and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Agreement

Against the backdrop of the ITB Berlin, UNWTO signed an agreement with the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first of its kind, the agreement is focused on the creation of training and quality certification programs in the Kingdom. The training will have a global reach and be built around collaboration in the following areas:

1. Online Courses: The creation of massive online open courses targeting the global tourism sector workforce, which reaches up to 300 million people. The courses will be managerial as well as vocational and available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. Topics will include entrepreneurship, innovation, event management, destination management, sustainability, gastronomy, hotel and restaurant operations.
2. Jobs Factory and Tourism Labor Market Observatory: To promote the creation of added value jobs through capacity building and analysis of the workforce skills in the Kingdom. The initiative will benefit up to 100,000 job seekers and involve at least 50 tourism businesses.
3. TedQual Quality Certification Programs: Up to 50 tourism education and training programs will be assessed as part of the UNWTO TedQual process. Up to 35 programs in tourism education and training institutions in the Kingdom will participate in this certification program.
4. Innovation & Digital Transformation: To create programs with the aim of promoting innovation and digital transformation to empower youth and small and medium enterprises in tourism field.

Related Links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• Innovation, Education and Investments
• TedQual Quality Certification Programs
• Academy

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“We Are Your Voice at Global Governance Level”: UNWTO at WTTC Summit

• Middle East
• 29 Nov 2022

UNWTO has returned to Riyadh to serve as a bridge between public and private leaders as tourism faces up to big challenges of today: high inflation, geopolitical insecurity and the climate emergency.

At the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit, taking place this week in the Saudi capital, UNWTO stressed the vital importance of education and investments as twin factors in ensuring tourism fulfils its enormous potential as a driver of sustainable and inclusive development. The high-level participation of UNWTO in this leading private sector forum further highlighted the Organization’s unique and natural ability to connect political ambitions and private sector capacity.

Education: An Investment in Tourism’s Future

This year, we brought tourism to the UN General Assembly for the first time and we have also put tourism on the G20 agenda

Speaking before the Summit’s two main events, the Global Leaders’ Dialogue and the Summit’s Opening Panel, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “This year, we brought tourism to the UN General Assembly for the first time and we have also put tourism on the G20 agenda”, adding “that is why I am here: UNWTO can be your voice at the global governance level”.

Carrying forward the momentum of key events held during 2022, including World Tourism Day in Bali, the Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market in London and, most recently, the UNWTO Executive Council meeting in Marrakesh, the WTTC Summit provided the latest high-level platform for UNWTO to advance its priorities of growing investments in tourism and promoting tourism education and training. As Mr Pololikasvili told participants, skills development is “an investment in the future, to build the tourism sector we need.”

A Vision for Tourism

Against the backdrop of the WTTC Summit, UNWTO invited all high-level delegates to return to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2023 for the official World Tourism Day celebrations (27 September), to be held around the theme of ‘Green Investments’. The hosting of the international day for the sector will further advance the Kingdom’s ambition to become a top emerging destination.

The Kingdom is a strong supporter of UNWTO’s mission to make tourism a driver of sustainable and inclusive development. UNWTO opened its first Regional Office for the Middle East in May 2021 in Riyadh. Built in record time and during a pandemic, the office is set to become a regional and global hub of tourism education and training as well as of tourism for rural development.

Related links

• Download the News Release in PDF
• “Education and Investments Cornerstones to Transform Tourism”
• UNWTO Makes History with First Regional Office for the Middle East