UNWTO opens office in Riyadh, Al Zayani represents Bahrain
TDT | Manama
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and Chairman of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, yesterday took part in the opening ceremony of the World Tourism Organization’s regional office in Saudi Arabia, Riyadh.
The event, held under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, was participated by tourism ministers in the Middle Eastern nations.
The new office will serve as a hub for UNWTO to coordinate policies and initiatives across 13 countries in the Middle East and a central forum to support tourism initiatives and achieve long-term growth for the sector.
The opening of the regional office, the first outside Madrid, also coincides with the tourism sector recovery summit held in Riyadh.
The office will lead the work of UNWTO in various parts of the region and contribute to promoting tourism products, sustainable development, and collecting statistics in response to the need for local initiatives to drive change. The office will stimulate investment in tourism assets and lead regional cooperation in exchanging data and health policy.
Zurab Pololikashvili affirmed that the launch of the first regional office of UNWTO is a high-profile event and represents a new direction for coordinating global tourism through regional cooperation. One of the new office’s first initiatives is an international tourism academy dedicated to supporting the aspirations of the new generation of tourism leaders.
Bahrain has been re-elected member of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organisation to represent the Middle East region, along with the United Arab Emirates, during the 2021-2024 period.
Bahrain was also re-elected member of UNWTO’s Credentials Committee during the elections held on the sidelines of the 47th meeting of UNWTO’s Regional Commission for the Middle East. Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister and Board of Directors Chairman of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani, expressed delight at the achievement.
“The victory reflects the HM the King’s aspirations and is the positive outcome of the government’s support for the tourism sector in the Kingdom,” said Al Zayani.
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