UN Tourism’s Member States from across the Middle East have met again to guide the continued growth of the sector across the region. The 51st session of the Regional Commission welcomed high-level delegations from 13 Member States, including eight Ministers of Tourism to assess achievements, analyse sector trends and focus on key priorities.
The Middle East finished 2024 as the region with fastest recovery from the impacts of the pandemic in the world. UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili paid special recognition of the Commission’s hosts, Qatar, which is on track to hit its target of welcoming 6 million tourists a year and growing tourism’s contribution to GDP to 12%.
“The Middle East stands out as one of the most exciting places for tourism right now. The region is a leader in fields such as luxury tourism, wellness tourism and sports tourism, and is also at the forefront of vital work to grow investments into the sector and provide education and training for millions of future tourism workers,” Secretary-General Pololikashvili said.
The region is a leader in fields such as luxury tourism, wellness tourism and sports tourism, and is also at the forefront of vital work to grow investments into the sector and provide education and training for millions of future tourism workers
The reports of the Secretary-General and the Regional Director for the Middle East, focused on UN Tourism's work to support Members develop talent through education and professional development. Key achievement include:
Together with its Member States, UN Tourism is advancing education-related activities across the region. Notably, in Saudi Arabia, the Riyadh School of Tourism and Hospitality is training tourism professionals and giving them relevant skills to lead the sector forward.
In Doha, the growing relevance of sports tourism as a tool for economic diversification was made clear, with the success of the Qatar FIFA World Cup of 2022 presented as a model for other destinations to follow.
The FIFA World Cup, Formula 1 races in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia, and the acquisition of major football players and teams from around the world – were all recognized as helping make the Middle East one of the most exciting and influential regions in world sports and sports tourism right now. The relevance of this part of the sector was further reflected in the hosting of a special one-day conference on Sports Tourism and the Tourism Industry After the World Cup within the framework of the Regional Commission.
Reflecting UN Tourism's commitment to strengthening resilience and creating opportunities through diversification, the significant potential of wellness tourism for the region was also emphasized. Equally, the growing importance of gastronomy tourism as a pillar of rural development and cultural heritage was underscored.
In accordance with the statutory obligations of the Commission, Member States confirmed key appointments for the years ahead. In a spirit of regional fraternity, Members agreed that Kuwait will serve as Chair as the Regional Commission for 2025-27, with Qatar as first Vice-Chair and Iraq as second Vice-Chair. Egypt and the UAE will sit on the UN Tourism Executive Council (2025-29).
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will sit on the Committee on Tourism Online Education (2025-29) and the UAE will sit on the Technical Committee for the International Code for the Protection of Tourists for the same period.
To conclude, Members agreed that the 52nd Regional Commission for the Middle East will be held in the city of Kuwait, Kuwait, in 2026.
UN Tourism has recognized the Department of Culture and Tourism of Abu Dhabi (DCT-Abu Dhabi) for its excellence in destination management.
Abu Dhabi becomes the sixth Destination Management Organization (DMO) in the world and the first in the Middle East region to receive the UN Tourism QUEST certification, testament to its ongoing dedication to excellence in governance and commitment to sustainability.
DCT-Abu Dhabi scored exceptionally high in the three areas of assessment of the certification after receiving 120 hours of capacity building sessions delivered by UN Tourism Academy, which included courses on: Sustainable Tourism; Governance for Sustainable Tourism; Quality and Competitiveness; and Sustainable Tourism Practices for Destination Management. These courses were complemented with eight one-to-one training sessions for DCT–Abu Dhabi officials to advance their understanding of UN Tourism QUEST assessment criteria and indicators.
The QUEST certification is an example of UN Tourism's leading work in the field of tourism standards to improve destination management and governance and highlights the importance and success of public-private-community partnerships, as well as horizontal and vertical cooperation in institutional governance. The Certification is valid for four years with the possibility of renewal.
UN Tourism and Qatar Tourism have again joined to celebrate the best in innovation and excellence in service.
The second edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards welcomed around 1,200 applications from businesses and individuals working in the sector. The different categories and sub-categories were designed to reflect the diversity of Qatar's growing tourism sector. Between 2019 and 2024, international arrivals to Qatar grew by 147%, with the sector also a growing hub for tourism innovation and investments.
For 2024, the seven main categories featured at the Qatar Tourism Awards were:
Opening the ceremony, UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona said: "These awards reaffirm the importance of businesses, entrepreneurs and influencers in the modern tourism landscape, both in Qatar and globally. It is imperative that we recognize and invest in the best talent and ideas in order to transform our sector. We will keep working together to strengthen our community of leaders."
The winners were chosen by a panel of judges, featuring leading experts in the field. Continuing its support, UN Tourism contributed by including one of its officials as an international expert in the selection process. Basmah Al Mayman, UN Tourism Regional Director for the Middle East, highlighted that the Awards are evolving into a significant brand that embodies Qatar's commitment to development in tourism. By recognizing outstanding achievements across various sectors, the Awards align with the key priorities of UN Tourism to promote tourism as a driver of economic growth and comprehensive development.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Saad Al Kharji, Chairman of Qatar Tourism, emphasized the vital role of UN Tourism in the success of this initiative. He reiterated the strong commitment of Qatar Tourism to delivering exceptional service and positioning Qatar as the fastest-growing tourism destination in the world. Finally, he encouraged all tourism stakeholders to apply for future editions, inviting them to play a part in shaping the future of tourism in Qatar.
UN Tourism joined Qatar Tourism for the launch of the 2nd edition of the Qatar Tourism Awards at Rexios Premium Qetaifan Island North in Doha. This initiative celebrates excellence in the tourism sector, recognizing outstanding achievements, innovations and individuals that contribute to making Qatar a top global destination.
UN Tourism Director of Technical Cooperation, Mr. Jaime Mayaki, joined the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Tourism, Mr. Omar Abdulrahman Al Jaber, for this announcement during the official press conference attended by several media representatives, sector stakeholders, and key government officials, including the CEO of Visit Qatar, Mr. Abdulaziz Al Mawlawi. The launching of the 2nd edition highlights the collaboration efforts between our two entities in promoting excellence in tourism development in Qatar.
We invite key tourism stakeholders in Qatar to submit their applications in this link (deadline: 8 August 2024)
UN Tourism will make use of a new electronic voting system for the meetings of its key statutory meetings and other meetings of its Governing Bodies.
Under an agreement announced during the 121st session of the UN Tourism Executive Council, the United Arab Emirates will sponsor the implementation and maintenance of a Mobile Application integrated platform. The platform includes an electronic voting system for the Organization that would be available at the meetings of its Governing Bodies (the General Assembly and the Executive Council) and its subsidiary organs. It also offers other features such as documentation management, online registration process and interactive communication between participants, among other features.
The adoption of the new electronic platform sponsored by UAE further underscores UN Tourism’s commitment to the digital transformation of every part of the tourism ecosystem, as well as its ongoing focus on promoting innovation and modernizing its processes.
