RIYADH: An official delegation led by Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), will attend a high-profile meeting of Arab tourism ministers that starts in the Yemeni capital Sanaa today.
The two-day meeting of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism (AMCT) will discuss plans of action for promoting tourism among Arab countries, which are witnessing a surge in tourism traffic this year.
“The AMCT session will also evaluate the performance of the tourism sector in Arab countries,” said Prince Sultan in a statement yesterday. He said the meeting would review decisions of the previous AMCT rounds, including the announcement by the council of a prize for tourism quality.
Prince Sultan affirmed the importance of enhancing joint Arab work in the field of tourism.
The Arab ministers are also likely to discuss a proposal to issue a unified visa for foreign tourists wishing to visit any of the Arab states, similar to the Schengen visa in force in Europe. “The meeting will underline the need to promote inter-Arab tourism and achieve tourism integration as a step toward economic integration of Arab states,” said Prince Sultan. “The tourism sector is upbeat in the Arab world as inter-regional and domestic travel is on the rise,” said a press statement released by the SCTA.
On the contrary, international tourism is expected to retreat by two to three percent this year, according to the statement. Hence, the meeting of the Arab tourism ministers has added importance in the context of boosting tourism traffic, said the statement.
