The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education Programme at Sultan Qaboos University has been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:
List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes
PR No.: PR18088
Madrid, Spain, 8 November 2018 – A new report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the European Travel Commission (ETC) shows that outbound tourism from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – comprising six countries of the Arabian peninsula – has grown strongly in recent years, with international tourism expenditure surpassing USD 60 billion in 2017.
‘The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Outbound Travel Market’, a new report prepared by UNWTO and ETC with the support of Value Retail, examines the fast-growing outbound market of the GCC countries – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – with an additional focus on the image of Europe as a tourism destination. It finds that per-capita international tourism spending from the GCC was 6.5 times higher than the global average in 2017, with expenditure estimated to be more than USD 60 billion in 2017, up from USD 40 billion in 2010.
“GCC countries constitute a fast-growing market with the potential to make a significant contribution to European tourism, diversifying demand and promoting new tourism segments”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili upon launching the report.
“The GCC nations remain a growing source market for European destinations, which should themselves capitalize on the potential of a younger, value-driven, well-informed and technology-savvy GCC traveller”, added ETC President Peter de Wilde.
Amongst its key findings, the report states that outbound travel from GCC countries to European destinations has benefited from the unprecedented growth in air travel during the past decade, with Gulf carriers becoming major players in long-haul aviation. Air connectivity between Europe and the GCC has seen exponential growth, providing easy access to travel between the two regions.
It notes that GCC travellers are mostly young and family-oriented, with large disposable incomes, and looking for high-quality accommodation, food and retail services. They value Europe’s variety of attractions and landscapes, developed infrastructure and common visa and currency systems, which make multi-destination travel easier. Europe is seen as offering diversity in experiences as well as opportunities to shop for luxury and designer fashion. Barriers to booking a trip to Europe include safety and security concerns, the language barrier and the high cost of holidays.
The report concludes with specific recommendations on how to position and market Europe to GCC tourists. It finds that destinations should focus on promoting specific tourism products and develop pan-European themes to attract tourists looking to visit multiple destinations.
The launch of the study will be supported by a webinar providing an overview of prospects in the GCC outbound travel market, insights into the profile and behaviour of GCC travellers, and appropriate targeted marketing strategies and messages for GCC consumers.
Useful links:
'The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Outbound Travel Market' Full Report
UNWTO Regional Department for the Middle East
UNWTO Market Intelligence and Competitiveness
Contacts:
UNWTO Communications Department
Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@unwto.org
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The UNWTO.TedQual Programme is pleased to announce that the following Tourism Education Programme at Yarmouk University has been awarded the UNWTO.TedQual Certification:
List of Institutions with UNWTO.TedQual certified tourism education and training programmes
Together with the UNWTO Affiliate Members Department, Affiliate Member globaldit is launching the Global Report on Inclusive Tourism Destinations: Model and Success Stories.
The Global Report on Inclusive Tourism Destinations: Model and Success Stories presents a model for inclusive tourism which refers to the capacity of tourism to integrate disadvantaged groups so that they can participate in, and benefit from, tourism activity. The report showcases how tourism can function as a vehicle for sustainable development and the reduction of poverty and inequality in the context of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report highlights the need to foster discussion on and examine new approaches to inclusive tourism in order to drive long-term sustainability in the sector. The Model for inclusive tourism destinations presented in this Global Report is a formula for practical and realistic public action that can be applied to different types of destinations. It is a path towards inclusion that is adaptable, modular and scalable, and facilitates the transformation of tourism models towards socially and economically inclusive models.
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the UNWTO.Themis Foundation and the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibition Authority (BTEA) are jointly organizing the UNWTO Training Programme on Tour Guiding in Manama, Bahrain (22 September-28 October 2018). The programme will take place in collaboration with the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (WFGTA) and with the participation of Bahraini tour guides.
This programme, aimed at improving the skill sets and techniques of local tour guides in Bahrain, is divided into two courses: a Hands-on Tour Guiding Course (HoT) for 100 participants and a Train the Trainer Course (TtT) for 12 selected participating guides. The latter course will create local capacity to allow for the activity to be replicated in the future. Both courses will get Bahraini guides the opportunity to get acquainted with international tour guiding standards and promote WFTGA’s code of guiding practice.
With their performance significantly influencing tourists’ involvement in host destinations, tour guides are not only key-front players in the industry but also of the Bahraini community. a community that values interaction and storytelling, two main ingredients in the tourists’ Middle Eastern experience.
The UNWTO Training Programme on Tour Guiding takes an innovative and compound approach in improving the skill sets and techniques of local guides in Bahrain: embracing technology; considering changes in tourist behaviour and demand; and using an interactive methodology incorporating group discussions, problem solving, role play, practical guiding, and technical visits to local museums and other tourism sites.
