Dr. Bandar bin Fahd Al Fahid, president of the Arab Tourism Organization, and a delegation were in attendance at the conference, which was presided over by Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, chairman of the Qatar Hotels Association (QHA). The two parties talked about potential areas of collaboration in the hospitality and hotel industries.
Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani emphasized the value of collaboration with the Arab Tourism Organisation in expanding hotel services, advancing the hospitality sector, and keeping up with regional and international tourism market trends.
He suggested the formation of a joint business council between Qatar Hotels Association and the Arab Tourism Organisation with the aim of promoting the tourism investment in the country, and analyse and assess the regional and sectorial potentials with the objective of sustainable regional and economic development.
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For his part, Dr. Bandar bin Fahd Al Fahid noted that the Arab Tourism Organisation aims to establish an entity that regulates the Arab and Islamic tourism sectors within the framework of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism of the League of Arab States.
He explained that the organisation aims to enhance and develop tourism in Arab countries, attract more tourists, encourage tourism amongst member states, and to reinvigorate scientific research, for the purpose of training and increasing the competence of the tourism cadres, as well as increasing the participation of the private sector in developing the tourism sector.
Dr. Al Fahid indicated that the organisation is working in cooperation with the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism to overcome the difficulties and obstacles facing Arab investors in the sector. Furthermore, the organisation head presented the most prominent agreements that push for joint action, such as the agreement on foreign tourism investment insurance in the member states, which was signed with the Islamic Development Bank Group (ISDB) and its affiliated institutions (the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), and the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance investment and export credit (ICIEC); with the aim of creating a safe investment climate, as well as providing financing for new tourism projects, whilst protecting investments within member states at the same time.
Members of QHA, for their part, spoke with Dr. Al Fahid about potential areas of mutual cooperation as well as strategies to increase investment in medical and hospital travel as well as the significance of tourism sustainability as a significant economic driver.
