The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), its UNWTO.Themis Foundation and the Ministry of Economy-National Tourism Programme of the United Arab Emirates invite all high-level decision makers in the National, Regional and Local Tourism Administrations and Organizations from the MENA region to apply for the upcoming UNWTO/UAE Tourism Leadership Programme Course on Digital Marketing in Tourism which will be held in English,  in Dubai, from  19 to 21 November 2017.

 

The UNWTO/UAE Tourism Leadership Programme is a series of executive training courses in tourism that take place every year with a different theme or on a different topic.

The objective of this year’s executive training course is to provide participants with knowledge, skills, tools, best practices and a forum for discussion about current developments in digital marketing strategies and implementation in Tourism. More specifically, to provide participants with understanding of key concepts and useful frameworks vital for developing successful marketing strategies, practical experience in conceptualising and developing a marketing strategy using the concepts of “Personas” and the “Customer Journey” and applying the UNWTO approaches and methodologies and raising the awareness of the importance to research and match local needs and customer wishes, dreams and behaviours.

Upon successful completion of this event, participants will be able to understand and apply key concepts and useful frameworks for successful Digital Marketing in tourism, evaluate and optimise an existing marketing strategy and plan and oversee and/or apply important marketing tools and tactics.

In order to achieve above mentioned objectives, combined theoretical-practical methodology will be applied during this executive training course in a modular structure. Each of these modules comprises presentations, discussions, debates, group work with case studies and analysis of experiences applicable to the participants, and practical activities which aim at putting in a real situation the content and tools seen during the executive training course. These activities include practical exercises and group discussions.  

Officials and industry professionals of UNWTO Members states from MENA region will be selected according to their merits, qualifications, experience, and nomination by the highest authority of its National Tourism Administration.

 

TUITION FEES

 

The tuition fee of the course is $ 1,465 USD. This fee will cover costs of the on-site components of the course and the provision of course materials, lunch and refreshments. Cost of travel to and from UAE, additional meals and accommodation are not included.

 

FINANCIAL AID

A 10 per cent of discount for participants who completed the previous 2016 course, will be offered.

 

APPLICATION

 

Candidates wishing to participate in this upcoming UNWTO/UAE Tourism Leadership Programme on Digital Marketing in United Arab Emirates ought to:

 

●    be qualified tourism officials and industry professionals from UNWTO Member states in the MENA region;

●    write a Letter of Motivation stating why he/she wants to participate in the course;

●    have a University degree or higher educational level;

●    have high level of English;

●    be able to share the knowledge they have gained on the topic of the executive training course  to their Organization/Administration.

 

In order to apply for the upcoming UNWTO/UAE Tourism Leadership Programme on Digital Marketing in Tourism, candidates from the MENA region should:

 

●    fulfill all above mentioned requirements;

●   complete application eForm;

●    send their letter of motivation to UNWTO through eForm indicating which objectives, professional achievements and career goals they would like to achieve with this course, and how this executive training course  might help them to grow professionally;

●    send copy of his/her passport (if not UAE national);

●    obtain an international insurance policy which fully covers their stay abroad (if an international participant).

 

PR No.: PR 17050

Moderated by CNN Becky Anderson, the UNWTO/ATM Ministerial Forum concluded that the main priorities for the region include human resources development, public/private sector cooperation, connectivity, technology and sustainability.

Issues on discussion included the development of domestic tourism by engaging repeat travellers, the support to innovation and entrepreneurship, the need to improve the quality and ‘perception’ of tourism employment, visa facilitation, intra-regional connectivity and the measurement of tourism’s impact through the recently launched UNWTO Initiative on Measuring Sustainable Tourism (MST).

Participants further recalled that much of the growth of the sector comes from the high level of support at policy level it receives from many countries in the region as a tool to diversify oil-based economies.

H.E. Mohammed Khamis Al Muhairi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, UAE, said that tourism has proven to be one of the main pillars of economic and social development in various countries. He pointed out that the MENA region has strong potential to become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations due to its extensive tourism attractions. He added that the region’s countries are at the threshold of a new phase of tourism growth which requires greater cooperation to ensure the maximization of opportunities offered by this sector. He also noted the need to consolidate partnerships at the government and private levels to overcome obstacles to their efforts to enhance the competitiveness of their respective tourism sectors and make the most of tourism’s impact on their growth and development.

Mr Al Muhairi further stated that “tourism is a top priority under the development policies of the UAE, revealing that the sector contributes 12.1% to the national GDP and accounts for around 10.4% of the domestic labor market”. “Investments to the sector exceeded AED 26 billion in 2016, a year which saw the number of visitors to the UAE reaching 24.8 million with total spend of about AED 110 billion”, he added

Commending the UNWTO/ ATM Ministerial Forum for providing an important platform for discussing the best ways to enhance the contributions of tourism to the development objectives of the UAE and other countries in the region he emphasized how the forum reflects the UAE’s keenness to support the global efforts to make tourism one of the pillars of sustainable development.

“Despite all external shocks, the Middle East and North Africa tell one of tourism’s biggest success stories. A story that brings an immense opportunity to make tourism a pillar of economic diversification, job creation and sustainable development in this region” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

“Today’s meeting is an opportunity to identify the priorities of tourism policy for the MENA destinations, strengthen regional cooperation and public-private partnerships that prepare the region to welcome the 195 million international tourist arrivals - almost triple the present volume of 72 million – forecasted by UNWTO for 2030. ” he added.  

Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director, ATM, said: “The Middle East is developing at an extraordinary pace as countries diversify from a dependence on hydrocarbon receipts. As such it is vital leaders in the region continue to find new ways of capitalising on tourism growth built on sustainability.

“The UNWTO & ATM Ministerial Forum provided an effective platform for stakeholders across the industry spectrum to identify the opportunities, as well as the challenges, that currently prevail throughout the region.”

The Middle East received 53.6 million international tourist arrivals in 2016. Arrivals decreased an estimated 4% with very mixed results among the region’s destinations. International tourist arrivals to North Africa grew by 3% to 18.6 million. 

Note for Editors: Speakers at the Ministerial Forum included Shaikh Khaled Bin Hmoud Al Khalifa, Executive Director for Bahrain Authority for Tourism and Exhibitions, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Yehia Rashed, Minister of Tourism of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Avedis Guidanian, Minister of Tourism of Lebanon, H.E. Mrs. Maitha Saif Majid Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Tourism of Oman, H.E. Mrs. Salma Elloumi Rekik, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts of Tunisia, H.E. Mr. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism, Development Authority, United Arab Emirates, H.E. Mr. Haitham Mattar, CEO of the Ras Al-Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat is the current Managing Director, Jordan Tourism Board, Mr. Adel Al Redha, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer, Emirates Airline, Mr. Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice President, Etihad Airways, Mr. Antonio Peña, Director, JSF T&T School, Mr. Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Dawood, CEO, Al Tayyar Group, Mr. Ivan Jakovljevic, Travel Industry Director, MENA region, Google, Mr. Yousef Wahbah, Partner & Leader, Real Estate & Hospitality, MENA region, Ernst & Young, Mr. Antonio Lopez de Avila, Director Tourism Innovation Centre, IE (Instituto de Empresa), Spain, Mr. Carl Obst, Director, Institute for the Development of Environmental-Economic Accounting and Mr. Antoine Medawar, Vice President for the MENA Region, AMADEUS

Useful links:

UNWTO & ATM Ministerial Forum

UNWTO Regional Programme for the Middle East

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org

PR No.: PR 17023

This was an occasion to stress the importance of cultural preservation and the links between tourism and culture particularly in the scope of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017.

“2017, declared by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, is a unique opportunity to promote the value of tourism to in the preservation of our values, diversity and heritage. Tourism revives traditional activities and customs, empowers communities and nurtures pride within them, promoting cultural diversity and raising awareness of the value of heritage”, said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

On the occasion, Mr Rifai was presented with the advances in the development of the Path of Pearls, including the restoration of several traditional houses in Manama.

Bahrain island society developed an economic, cultural and social system that was based on a singular source of income, a natural product of incomparable beauty: the pearls of Bahrain. The unique story of pearling in Bahrain and its physical testimony in Muharraq is now listed by UNESCO as World Heritage site.

“I would like to commend the immense efforts of H.E. Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa in preserving and promoting culture in Bahrain and its relationship with tourism”, added Mr Rifai.

UNWTO has been long promoting the development of cultural tourism routes as a means to advance regional integration and economic development, namely through its long standing Silk Road Tourism Programme.

As part of Bahrain’s Spring of Cultures Festival, Mr Rifai also attended the Lebanese opera show “Antar and Abla” at the Bahrain National Theater.

In recognition of her contribution to the promotion of sustainable cultural tourism, UNWTO will designate H.E. Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa as Special Ambassador for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 at a special ceremony at UNWTO Headquarters in Madrid on March 24, 2017.

Contacts:

UNWTO Media Officer Rut Gomez Sobrino

Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60 / rgomez@unwto.org

UNWTO Communications & Publications Programme

Tel: (+34) 91 567 8100 / Fax: +34 91 567 8218 / comm@UNWTO.org