Losses in the tourism sector in Arab countries have reached $300 billion as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fahid, President of the Arab Tourism Organisation, said on Monday. "With the coronavirus pandemic 100% under control in the Arab countries, it is high time to step up cooperation in the field of tourism, especially as the number of tourists has risen by 63% worldwide, exceeding 900 million tourists by the end of 2022", he added at the opening of the Arab Tourism Media Forum organised in Tunis, on the theme of "The role of the media in the development of inter-Arab tourism". The Arab Tourism Organisation will shortly be launching cooperation programmes with the Tunisian Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts to boost inter-Arab tourism, he pointed out. In his view, the media are an essential partner in promoting the wealth of tourism in the Arab region and boosting the Arab tourism industry, which is an important economic lever for Arab countries. For his part, President of the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU), Mohammed bin Fahd Al-Harthi, called for credible, high-quality media content, saying that the tourism media are a vehicle for promoting the cultural and civilisational development of Arab countries. Speaking on the subject, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts Mohamed Moez Belhassine called for a new specialisation in tourism media to be created, combining practical knowledge of the tourism industry with academic media training. Belhassine considered that the success of any tourist destination depends heavily on the media work promoting it, believing that tourism and the media are inseparable partners. The first edition of the Arab Tourism Media Forum is being held at the initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, alongside the 23rd edition of the Arab Radio and Television Festival, which runs from June 12 to 15 at the City of Culture in Tunis. It aims to highlight the role of the media in developing an Arab tourism industry and promoting the region's tourist destinations.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse