Despite susceptibility to economic and political upheavals in the Middle East at present, tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global economy.
This statement by Egypt’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ahmed Issa came during the opening of the 33rd meeting of the Executive Office of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism in Qatar.
The two-day meeting is chaired by Egypt and organised by Qatar and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
According to reports from the World Tourism Organisation, from January to September 2023 following the Covid 19 pandemic, Middle East tourism exceeded pre-pandemic levels by more than 20 per cent, the minister said.
The tourist industry is among the nation’s top priorities and considerable effort is devoted to its support and advancement, the minister added.
“The state’s great development of infrastructure — road networks, airports, railways — is one of the main reasons for rapid growth this year.”
He also praised the efforts of Arab countries in advancing and strengthening the role of joint co-operation in tourism.
