DOHA: A preparatory meeting between the GCC undersecretaries of tourism ministries and authorities will be held in Doha today.
They will gather in preparation for a meeting of the tourism ministers and tourism authority chairpersons to be held on Wednesday.
The meeting will be opened by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) Chairman Issa bin Mohammed Al Mohannadi and chaired by QTA Director of International Co-operation Saif Al Kuwari.
Mechanisms to boost intra-GCC tourism features on the agenda, which also includes a discussion on the removal of obstacles that hinder the development of GCC tourism sectors.
Delegates will explore ways to speed up the policy and decisionmaking processes and discuss joint promotion of the Gulf, training programmes, and development of a framework for tourism and aviation collaboration.
“It is an honour for Qatar to host the first complete cycle of meetings between GCC tourism officials. The meetings have been a great opportunity to develop a common vision between GCC countries and highlight ways in which we can collaborate to achieve it, especially with respect to intra-GCC tourism,” said Al Kuwari.
“We look forward to moving ahead with solid, practical strategies to increase the attractiveness of the region as a destination on the global map.”
Al Kuwari said the First Annual GCC Handicrafts Exhibition held under the theme ‘Woven with the Thread of Heritage’ will open its doors to the public on the sidelines of this meeting from October 6 to 10. The idea of a joint annual exhibition was suggested during the first ministerial meeting in Kuwait last year.
Following Wednesday’s meeting, delegations will attend the departure of the dhow boat Fath Al Kheir 2 from Katara Beach to India, on a historical journey to preserve Gulf marine heritage. The peninsula
