UNWTO gathers Member States from the Middle East in Jordan

08-06-23

Tourism leaders from across the Middle East have gathered to guide the development of the sector across the region, including as a driver of inclusive employment and rural development.

The 49th meeting of the UNWTO Regional Commission for the Middle East brought together high-level delegations from 12 countries at the Dead Sea in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to assess the current state of tourism in the region and advance shared plans for its future. 

Middle East: First region to surpass pre-pandemic levels

For the Middle East, tourism represents an unrivalled driver of employment and opportunity, as well as economic diversification and resilience.

According to UNWTO data, the Middle East is the first region in the world to exceed pre-pandemic figures for international tourist arrivals so far in 2023. 

• Overall, international arrivals to Middle East destinations in the first quarter of 2023 were 15 per cent higher than in the same period of 2019.

• Jordan welcomed 4.6 million tourists in 2022, close to the 4.8 million recorded in 2019, with tourism receipts amounting to $5.8 billion for the year.

On the eve of the Regional Commission meeting, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with HRH Crown Prince Al Hussein to congratulate him on the "rapid and remarkable" recovery of Jordanian tourism. The Secretary-General also commended the strong support shown for tourism by the Jordanian Royal Family and the Government, including the work being done to diversify the sector. 

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "Tourism has proven its resilience in the face of the crisis. And now, recovery is underway, with all the challenges and opportunities that this brings. For the Middle East, tourism represents an unrivalled engine of employment and opportunity, as well as economic diversification and resilience."

UNWTO supports Members' priorities in the Middle East

The participants, representing 12 of UNWTO's 13 Member States in the region, and including 7 Ministers of Tourism, benefited from an overview of the Organization's progress in achieving its Programme of Work:

• Education: Members received an overview of UNWTO's work to advance one of its key priorities for tourism. Major achievements included an agreement signed with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to develop tourism education, including through online courses with the potential to reach up to 300 million people worldwide, and the Job Factory, which connects 50 employers with 100,000 job seekers. UNWTO is also launching a first degree in Sustainable Tourism Management and developing plans to make tourism a baccalaureate subject.

• Tourism for rural development: The UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) is growing as a global centre for tourism for rural development. Members were updated on its work, including the Best Tourism Villages initiative, which is receiving nominations for its third edition.

• Innovation: UNWTO is working with its Members to make the Middle East a hub for tourism innovation. Recent initiatives include the Women in Tech Start-Up Competition for the Middle East, aimed at supporting women entrepreneurs across the region, and the Tourism Tech Adventures forum in Qatar.

Looking ahead

In line with UNWTO's statutory obligations, Middle East Members agreed to:

• Jordan will serve as Chair of the Middle East Commission for the period 2023-2025. Egypt and Kuwait will hold the vice-presidencies.

• The Commission will hold its 50th session in Oman.