Manama: The Kingdom of Bahrain, represented by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), will host the 109th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Executive Council, later this month.
The Executive Council will discuss several topics on the agenda that are related to the development of the global tourism sector including the Secretary- General’s report and general programme of work, the UNWTO’s financial report for the period ended 30 June 2018 and the Organization’s budget.
Members of the Executive Council will also discuss the Organization’s focus and plans to drive innovation and transformation in the tourism industry by 2030, identifying key priorities for the development of the world tourism over the next two years.
In addition, the session will review the progress on the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) recommendations, and the associate members will elect the Executive Vice President of the Executive Board for 2019.
“We look forward to hosting the 109th session of UNWTO Executive Council; our participation comes as a part of our commitment as active members of the UNWTO Commission for the Middle East. We aim to contribute significantly to the development of additional partnerships and strengthen cooperation among the council members to achieve the best results,” Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, said.
“The UNWTO will focus on five pillars in the coming period including innovation, digital transformation, investments and entrepreneurship, education and employment, safe, secure and seamless travel in addition to social, cultural and environmental sustainability. This will lead to the creation of new job and business opportunities, an increase of investments in tourism, and enhanced competitiveness and sustainability within the sector,” he added.
The Kingdom of Bahrain, represented by the BTEA, was selected as member of the UNWTO Executive Council for the period 2018-2021. This selection comes as a result of the BTEA’s efforts towards developing the tourism sector on a local level, as well as the Kingdom’s capability to represent the Middle East region in terms of tourism developments.
The Executive Council is considered the world’s top tourism executive body with 32 members representing the six regions of the world.
The UNWTO was established in 1975 and is based in the Spanish capital of Madrid. It is concerned with countries’ political affairs in terms of tourism and produces statistics on tourism demand and supply worldwide. Its membership includes 145 countries, comprises six regions, and 350 Affiliate Members representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities.