QTA participates in the 5th Arab Tourism Ministers Council meeting in Muscat

The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) participated in the fifth meeting of the executive committee of Arab Tourism Ministers Council (ATMC), which was held from December 19 to 20 in Muscat. Mr.

The Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) participated in the fifth meeting of the executive committee of Arab Tourism Ministers Council (ATMC), which was held from December 19 to 20 in Muscat. Mr. Jabor Al-Mohannadi, head of Public and International Relations of QTA represented Qatar at this important meeting along with Mr. Mohammad Al-Hafnawi, legal advisor of QTA.

The meeting was attended by eight countries – Qatar, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, Djibouti, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in addition to the host, Sultanate of Oman, which was represented by its Ministry of Tourism.

The proceedings were attended by representatives of Arab tourism ministries and authorities together with the representatives of the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Arab Tourism Organization, and Secretariat General of Arab League.

The agenda of the fifth meeting of the ATMCโ€™s executive committee included eight key items including the election of the chairman of the executive committee, the discussion of the technical secretariatโ€™s report on the implementation of the committeeโ€™s previous decisions, and the announcement of the ATMCโ€™s Award for Quality Tourism.

The award was given to the Emirates Palace Hotel of Abu Dhabi and both the Sultan Palace and Shangri-La Bar Al Jessa hotels of Oman.

Also listed on the agenda was the discussion of the Arab tourism strategy, which is built on two key grounds: the decision of the social and economical committee on the strategyโ€™s projects and programs and the follow-up with the Arab tourism strategyโ€™s priority programs.

During the meetings, the efforts for implementing the procedures embraced in the executive action plan for the recommendations handed down by the Arab Economic & Social Development Summit in the tourism domain, were discussed together with the global financial crisis and the roadmap adopted by the WTO and the outcomes of the 10th Arab Tourism Forum on low-cost airlines and pan-Arab tourism.

The Arab Economic & Social Development Summit was hosted in Kuwait early this year.

The delegates at the council meeting also deliberated the ATMCโ€™s financial statements and contributions by the member states and the 2010 budget.

During the closing session, a motion was adopted to introduce a logo for the council, which will be presented at the Ministerial Meeting scheduled to take place in Alexandria next June for approval.

Similarly, a study on the set up of an Arab center for the management of tourism crises was presented along with the recommendations handed down by the Islam & Tourism Forum held in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in October 2009.

There was a recommendation to hold the forum on an annual basis provided that it is hosted by a different capital city of a Muslim state.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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