A High-level delegation from Qatar Tourism led by His Excellency Mr. Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism is participating in the fiftieth UN Tourism meeting of the Regional Commission for the Middle East, which is currently held in the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, Muscat. The meetings started 22 May and will continue until 24 May. At the conclusion of the meetings todays, it was announced that the State of Qatar will host the upcoming UN Tourism Regional Commission 51st conference.

Choosing Doha as the host for the next conference is a testament to Qatar’s position as a regional and global hub for cultural, economic and political exchange. It solidifies the tourism sector’s integral contribution in sustainable economic development and the role it played in enhancing cooperation between countries and fostering international relations.

HE. Chairman of Qatar Tourism met with HE. Secretary-General of the United Nations Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, where discussions took place about launching the second edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards in partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Organization to honour those who contributed to providing unique experience and service excellence to Qatar’s visitors. In addition, their excellencies explored ways of collaborations on developing innovative ideas mainly within the digital and AI realms.

Qatar Tourism expressed its interest in sharing its expertise and experience with launching the Hayya platform with other member states, with hopes of ultimately applying it within the region.

During the meeting important topics and initiatives to enhance the cooperation and integration within the tourism sector among the participating countries at the Arab and regional levels were discussed, building on the common factors they hold and benefitting from lessons learned from successes achieved over the past years.

The importance of integration between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the unified tourist visa scheduled to be in effect at the end of this year was highlighted, underscoring its contribution in supporting sustainable and comprehensive economic development.

Constructive discussions were had regarding tourism investments and financing methods, during which it was emphasized that Qatar is distinguished by having an attractive investment environment for local and foreign investors, because it enjoys economic stability that enables it to withstand challenges and achieve steady GDP growth. Qatar witnessed the establishment of more than 800 new commercial institutions and the implementation of 135 foreign direct investment projects with a total value of $29.78 billion. The participants highlighted Qatar Tourism’s keenness to achieve service excellence across the tourism value chain, through its close cooperation with public and private sector entities in the country, which contributed to providing a safe and attractive experience, and enabling us to continue topping the list of the safest countries in the world.

In the agenda, the Qatar Tourism delegation is planning to discuss several vital topics during the panel session, which will be held tomorrow on the side lines of the conference titled “Stimulating tourism investment through cross-sector partnerships”. The most prominent of which would be the cooperation between Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Interior’s successful launch of the “Haya” platform for visa facilitation. The session will also focus on highlighting the cooperation between Qatar Tourism and other sectors to attract investment and enhance offerings in the country. The meeting would then review plans to maintain the momentum of growth in the sector, particularly after hosting major events and tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup 2022TM and the AFC Asian Cup 2023TM.