Arab Tourism Technical Committee discusses activating joint tourism programs with Kuwait's participation

Cairo, October 25 (KUNA) -- The 16th session of the Arab Tourism Technical Committee kicked off today, Sunday, with the participation of the State of Kuwait, to discuss ways to enhance Arab tourism cooperation, activate joint tourism programs, and address the impacts of climate change on the tourism sector.

At the opening of the meeting, Dr. Bahgat Abu Al-Nasr, Director of the Transport and Tourism Department at the Arab League, stated that the agenda includes 12 items focusing on developing Arab tourism cooperation, exchanging expertise among member states, and enhancing integration among Arab tourist destinations. He added that the meeting is held within the framework of the technical secretariat’s work for the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, aiming to review proposed initiatives, coordinate Arab efforts to develop the tourism sector, and keep pace with economic, environmental, and technological changes.

He clarified that the agenda includes an initiative to exchange expertise among Arab countries in organizing the tourism sector, and another to activate joint tourism packages, thereby enabling the development of programs that combine more than one Arab destination and enhancing opportunities for integration and promotion of tourist destinations in the region. The agenda also includes discussing the Arab Cooperation Agreement in the tourism sector and monitoring the implementation of the ninth axis of the Arab Tourism Strategy, emphasizing the importance of keeping pace with developments in the tourism industry to develop relevant legal and regulatory frameworks.

On the other hand, Abu Al-Nasr noted that the meeting will discuss a draft agreement for cooperation among Arab countries in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property, alongside enhancing integration between tourism and civilizational and cultural heritage, thereby supporting the utilization of the historical and cultural assets of Arab countries to diversify tourism products.

Regarding digital transformation in Arab tourism, he stressed the importance of raising this issue for discussion, given the expanding use of technology to develop tourism services, improve visitor experience, and enhance sector efficiency. He pointed out that the committee is also exploring ways to develop medical tourism in the Arab world and to leverage the capabilities available in member states to enhance cooperation and exchange expertise in this field.

Abu Al-Nasr mentioned that the meeting will determine the date and venue for the 17th session of the Arab Tourism Technical Committee, in addition to discussing emerging issues. In this context, he referred to a joint Arab plan to mitigate the impacts of climate change on tourism, in light of environmental challenges and their effects on destinations and tourism activities, as well as the “Arab Silk Road” project, an initiative aimed at enhancing tourism cooperation among Arab countries.

It is worth noting that the State of Kuwait is represented at the meeting by Adhari Al-Saleh, Observer of Tourism Research and Information at the Ministry of Information. (End) M.M. / N.B.S.