On February 25 of each year, the Arab world celebrates the “Arab Tourism Day”, the date that coincides with the birth of the famous Arab traveler and explorer Ibn Battuta.
In line with the recommendation of the Arab Tourism Organization, the Arab Tourism Day is celebrated this year under the slogan : “Digital Transformation Towards Safe Arab Tourism”.
This celebration comes at a time when the tourism sector is heavily hit and severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, with a serious disruption and a quasi-complete paralysis in the work of tourism institutions and agencies, causing enormous difficulties for millions of workers and investors in this sector.
Still, most indicators show that the world will soon witness a fresh economic start, especially with the declining number of COVID-19 infections thanks to the prevention and vaccination campaigns. With the expected intensive return of travel across the world, various economic sectors, particularly tourism, will soon recover.
It follows that all actors in the tourism sector are called on to best prepare for the re-launch of the tourism activity, while benefiting from the digital experience and expertise acquired during COVID-19 in order to make transition toward safe Arab tourism, in line with the slogan chosen by the Arab Tourism Organization for this year’s celebration.
Given its keen interest in Arab tourism as part of several programs related to sustainable development, especially cultural tourism and heritage valorization, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) calls on all relevant stakeholders to step up efforts and increase coordination with a view to overcoming the fallouts of this crisis and envisioning innovative mechanisms that will enhance the quality of tourism services. Special focus, should, in this regard, be laid on valorizing the rich and diverse natural and cultural heritage of the Arab countries; thereby offering an authentic and sustainable tourist product, with no prejudice to natural and environmental specificities and to cultural identities.
ALECSO recalls, in this regard, that tourism, beside its economic role, is first and foremost a means for the discovery of other peoples’ customs, traditions, heritage and lifestyles, for cultural exchange and communication among peoples, and, therefore, for the dissemination of the values of tolerance and peace across the globe.
In this context, governments and all relevant international institutions and organizations are called on to give utmost importance to the development of training and upgrading programs for workers in the tourism sector, including tourist guides, service providers and programmers; thereby promoting sustainable, advanced and safe Arab tourism that meets the post-COVID-19 requirements, carries a valuable message, safeguards environmental components and cultural identities, guarantees the dignity of those working in it, and contributes to achieving sustainable development goals.
