Representatives of Arab countries are meeting in Bahrain to map out strategies to woo tourists to a region hit by political upheaval, a report said.
The Arab Tourism Ministers Council began discussions at the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, near Bahrain National Museum, yesterday (May 19), reported the Gulf Daily News.
“Tourism is an important source of national income – both steady and long-term. We could look at the tourism witnessed by Bahrain, which has had a deep impact. And the same thing applies to the Emirates and Egypt.”
However, tourism in several countries in the region has been hit by violent uprisings since 2011, which have persuaded many potential visitors to look for alternative travel destinations.
This has had a knock-on effect on tourism-related business in the region, such as hotels and airlines.
However, one way to win back tourists was to promote the rich history of Arab countries, at the same time tapping into the latest trends in travel.
Encouraging foreign investment in tourism and the importance of Arabs joining forces to fund investments was also highlighted.
