Bahrain shines at UNWTO General Assembly; secures hosting of World Gastronomy Tourism Forum

TDT | Manama                                                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) represented Bahrain at the 25th UNWTO General Assembly held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Dr. Nasser Qaedi, the CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, led Bahrain’s delegation, which included representatives from over 150 member nations, including ministers and high-ranking tourism officials.

On the sidelines of the Assembly, the CEO of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority held discussions with UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. They discussed the progress made by the tourism sector in Bahrain and explored opportunities for cooperation and common interests.

Dr Qaedi also participated in a high-level ministerial panel at the global tourism education forum, along with ministers from The Principality of Andorra, The Republic of Guatemala, The Republic of the Philippines, and The Republic of Zambia. The BTEA delegation also attended two executive council meetings.

Through its participation in the 25th UNWTO General Assembly, Bahrain received recognition as one of the fastest-growing tourism markets. As a result, the Kingdom was chosen to host the 9th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in 2024, which is the world’s largest gastronomy tourism event.

Dr Qaedi,, commented on this achievement, stating, “With our promising tourism strategy for 2022-2026, the Kingdom is on the right path to achieve its tourism goals, which include product diversification, increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP, and attracting more tourists from around the world.

This will add value to the Kingdom’s sustainable development in promising sectors by attracting more tourism investments, creating jobs, and implementing creative initiatives to support tourism progress.” Under the theme “Crossroads of Cultures,” this significant UN tourism event featured a diverse range of activities as the tourism sector worked to chart a new path towards a rapid recovery.