BIDIYAH: The first Oman Desert Tourism Forum began in the Wilayat of Bidiyah in North Al Batinah Governorate, on Wednesday. The event is organized by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) as part of North Al Sharqiyah Winter Activities. The event sheds light on tourism investment and the significance of boosting strategic and tourism in desert areas in an effort to develop sustainable tourism. The event was held under the auspices of Shaikh Sabbaa Hamdan al Saadi, Secretary-General of the Secretariat-General of National Celebrations.
Mahmoud bin Yahya al Dhuhli, Governor of North Sharqiyah, said that the forum aims to strengthen and support the tourism sector in the governorate due to the importance of this sector in the economic growth in the Sultanate of Oman. He noted that the importance of the forum lies in forging a strategic partnership between relevant government departments and the private sector, highlighting the role of tourism in supporting local communities, analyzing the challenges facing tourism investment in desert areas and enriching the theoretical framework of tourism investment and desert tourism.
The forum’s main session was held under the title ‘The Impact of Tourism Investment on Sustainable Development in Desert Regions’ with the participation of several sectors. A number of working papers were presented as part of the main session generally focusing on desert tourism, desert tourism legislations and the investment opportunities in desert tourism.
The forum saw the launch of a tourism initiative by establishing the Tourism Media and Information Centre, the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Centre and the OCCI branch in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate with the aim of strengthening the role of the Tourism Committee in developing the tourism sector and highlighting the media roles in promoting, marketing and covering tourism events in North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. — ONA
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