Delegation presents Middle East Commission with latest updates on hosting official World Tourism Day celebrations
A delegation led by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Chief Tourism Development Officer Hassan Al Ibrahim is heading to Chengdu, China to attend the 22nd Session of the United Nations World Travel Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly.
The delegation, comprised of members from QTA’s executive team and representatives from the International Cooperation section, will take part in the UNWTO Commission for the Middle East where they will present the latest updates on the preparations for the official World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations on 27 September in Doha.
The delegation will also present a report on the latest developments in Qatar’s tourism sector, which has witnessed a significant growth over the past two years. The General Assembly is featuring a high-level forum around tourism’s role in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals set for 2030.
As the UN proclaimed 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the official WTD celebrations which will be held in Doha this year will be under the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development’. The full-day event, set to attract numerous high-level officials from the international tourism industry, will witness the launch of the Next Chapter of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030.
Al Ibrahim said that Qatar’s participation in the assembly is an opportunity to enhance cooperation avenues among Qatar’s tourism sector stakeholders, the UNWTO, and its member states.
Our participation reflects the important role Qatar plays in the UNWTO’s activities and programmes, giving us a chance to stay up to date with and benefit from other countries’ experiences as we continue on our journey to achieve sustainable development for the tourism sector and the national economy.’
The delegation will also be holding several meetings on the sidelines of the Assembly with tourism ministers and industry representatives from the Middle East and Asia, to discuss avenues of collaboration.
Expected to gather over 800 delegates from the UNWTO Member States, the private sector, and academia, the Assembly will discuss tourism’s ability to foster inclusive development and social transformation. Countries will also cast votes to select the country that will host the official WTD celebrations in 2018.
For more information, visit the QTA website at visitqatar.qa.