31/05/2009
An official delegation led by Prince Sultan bin Salman, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, attended a high-profile meeting of Arab tourism ministers in the Yemeni capital Sanaa last week.
The two-day meeting of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism discussed plans of action for promoting tourism among Arab countries, which are witnessing a surge in tourism traffic this year.
Prince Sultan said, “During this session, the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism evaluated the performance of the tourism sector in Arab countries.” He also affirmed the importance of enhancing joint Arab efforts in the field of tourism.
The Arab ministers also discussed 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. Prince Sultan said, “The meeting will underline the need to promote inter-Arab tourism and achieve tourism integration as a step toward the economic integration of Arab states.” Adding that, “The tourism sector is upbeat in the Arab world as inter-regional and domestic travel is on the rise.”
However, international tourism is expected to retreat by two to three percent this year making the meeting of the Arab tourism ministers more important for boosting tourism traffic.
