Muscat: HH Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmood al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers received on Wednesday Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) and heads of the delegations taking part in the 50th meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East and the Conference on “Investing in Tourism: Opportunities and Challenges in Sustainable Financing”, hosted by the Sultanate of Oman.
At the outset of the meeting, HH Sayyid Fahd reviewed the importance of tourism as a primary support for the growth of the global economy. He also touched on its role in achieving positive returns on the social and economic aspects of countries.
He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman attaches great importance to tourism, as it has devised plans and programmes that ensure attracting more investments in tourism projects. These, affirmed HH Sayyid Fahd, come in support of this sector’s contribution to economic diversification and generating more job opportunities.
He also expressed his appreciation for the role of the World Tourism Organization in developing the tourism sector, which made the Middle East region in particular occupy an advanced position as the most developed region in attracting tourists in the world.
During the meeting, the conversation dealt with reviewing means to maximise the benefits of tourism to support international cooperation in the field of human resources qualification, exchange of experiences, and promoting tourism as a tool to support peace and stability in all parts of the world.
On their turn, heads of the delegations extended their thanks to the Sultanate of Oman for the good preparation for these meetings, lauding the achievements and remarkable progress achieved in Oman at all levels.
The meeting was attended by Salim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism; Omar bin Said al Kithiri, Ambassador of Oman to Spain and its Permanent Delegate to the UN Tourism; and Basmah bint Abdulaziz al Maymaniyah, Regional Director for the Middle East at the WTO. — ONA
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