Kuwait: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Information organised the Tourism Communication Conference on Tuesday to explore successful tourism experiences in the Arabian Gulf region and engage with local specialised authorities.
According to Nasser Ahmed Nasser Muhaisen, Kuwaiti Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Information, this marks the first tourism conference held in Kuwait whose primary audience is the nearby Gulf countries, sharing a common identity, history, and traditions.
The conference aims to examine how to establish the right foundations to enhance tourism sector in Kuwait by studying similar experiences in the region and presenting ideas to attract investors from within and outside to invest in Kuwait's natural and human resources.
Muhaisen emphasised that the tourism sector is now a significant industry representing a crucial economic sector for any country indicating that investing in the available resources in the country correctly and aligning them with tourism requirements would yield positive results, as seen in the experiences of Gulf countries.
Representatives of Oman from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism highlighted the reasons qualifying Oman for distinctive features that enabled growth in the tourism sector.
Said al Obaidani, Director General of tourism development in the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, confirmed that mega investment project for Kuwait in Oman in the future, stressing that this collaboration will bring prosperous chances to both countries.
Basma bint Abdulaziz al Maiman, Regional Director for the Middle East at the United Nations Tourism Organisation, expressed concern about the future of tourism in the region.
She mentioned a qualitative shift in the tourism sector to better support and accelerate tourism recovery and sustainable development. Basma highlighted the growing consensus among tourism stakeholders and the need to balance the needs of people, planet, and prosperity.
Discussing airport statistics until the end of 2023, Basma pointed out significant increases in the number of passengers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries, indicating a transformation into global flight centres.
Dubai International Airport attracted 86.9 million passengers, Hamad Airport in Doha 45.9 million passengers, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah 42.7 million passengers, Kuwait Airport 15.6 million passengers, Muscat Airport 12.6 million passengers, and Bahrain Airport 8.7 million passengers.
The conference, attended by Gulf officials, academics, specialists, private sector officials, and civil society institutions interested in tourism and its economic aspects, will discuss topics within a scientific framework during its working sessions.
These sessions will address significant topics, including Gulf tourism experiences, empowering tourism (vision and future), and the relationship between tourism and civil society.
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