First Bidiyah Tourism Forum gets under way
Published: 09:12 PM,Dec 01,2016 | EDITED : 05:04 AM,Apr 28,2024
BIDIYAH: The First Bidiyah Tourism Forum kicked off in the Wilayat of Bidiyah in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah this evening under the auspices of HH Sayyid Mohammed bin Salim al Said.
The ten-day forum is organised by Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) branch in North Al Sharqiyah under the theme “Economic Development and Tourism Enrichment”.
The chief guest expressed his happiness of opening the 1st Bidiyah Tourism Forum.
In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), he urged public and private institutions to promote domestic tourism particularly desert tourism. He also called on the media to help promote domestic tourism as it is one of the fast growing sectors that play a major role in diversifying economic sources in the Sultanate.
Salim bin Ali al Hajri, head of OCCI Branch in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah said that the forum represents a unique initiative that aims at supporting efforts being exerted by the Sultanate due to oil price slump in a bid to diversify sources of income through activating added value economic sectors.
The first version of this forum aims at activating the tourism activity in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah in general and the wilayats of Bidiyah and Wadi Bani Khalid in particular. It also aims at shedding light on the major tourism attractions in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah and creating fruitful cooperation among different public and private stakeholders taking part at the events being held on the sidelines of the forum.
The forum includes several cultural, tourism and sport activities, in addition to presenting case studies and successful experiences in promoting domestic tourism especially the forum and festival tourism.
It also aims at ensuring economic diversification through activating the added value economic sectors of the Sultanate, such as tourism sector.
Working papers to be presented during the forum will discuss means of promoting the tourism industry, how to activate its role in economic growth and sustainable development. They will also cover the promising investment opportunities in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah.
The chief guest of the event launched tourism sites guide of the wilayats of Bidiyah and Wadi Bani Khalid on smart phone applications.
He also opened the Heritage Village associating with the forum.
The village includes models of the social life, urban and Bedouin environments with their agricultural fields. It also witnesses staging various traditional arts and games. — ONA