44th UNWTO ME Commission meeting launched in Sharm al-Sheikh

CAIRO – 8 May 2018: The United Arab Emirates headed Tuesday the 44^th meeting of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Commission for the Middle East.

The UNWTO began in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm al-Sheikh with the participation of tourism ministers and officials from Middle Eastern countries and a senior UNWTO delegation, headed by Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UNWTO.

The Egyptian government took the necessary measures to facilitate the arrival, stay and departure of the participants invited by the organization.

Participants invited by the organization will benefit from the privileges and immunities provided for in the agreement concluded between the organization and the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism.

According to UNWTO, the organization’s program of activities in the region is built around the following five strategic objectives, which were set by the commission at its 44^th meeting, held in Dubai in May 2015.

The objectives are to enhance tourism’s Safety and Security in the region, strengthen the sector’s resilience to external shocks; promote sustainable Tourism policies and practices and mainstream the sector in the political agenda for socio-economic development; harness the use of technology in developing and marketing innovative product offerings and in delivering smart Tourism solutions, strengthen National Tourism Administrations institutional capabilities; and to promote and facilitate public-private partnerships in achieving these objectives.

The meeting aims to address its plans and strategies to promote tourism development in the Middle East and monitor the UNWTO’s work and technical projects, as well as to discuss relevant issues and challenges and how to deal with them in the future.

Moreover, the meeting will witness presentations on the reports of regional sub-commissions concerned with tourism and sustainability, tourism and competitiveness.