Sudanese Minister of Tourism Muhammad Abdul Kareem (2nd L), President of ATO Bandar Al-Fuhaid and Palestinian Minister of Tourism Rula Maayah speak at a press conference at the ATO headquarters in Jeddah. — SG photo Fatima Muhammad Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Officials at the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) have said there is a need to provide insurance to businessmen willing to invest in tourism in the Arab region. This comes as the number of investments and tourists in the region experienced a sharp drop, according to the organization. Bandar Al-Fuhaid, president of the ATO, said unrest in the region has resulted in tremendous losses in the tourism sector worth $30 billion. The new conditions have forced some countries known for being premier destinations to ban tourism altogether due to the lack of security, said Al-Fuhaid. Egypt and Tunisia, he noted, have achieved “remarkable” stability, resulting in an increase in Sharm El-Sheikh visitors by 300 percent in 2014 compared to the previous year. The ATO has resolved a number of stalled projects in the Arab region worth SR1 billion. Some of these projects have been on hold for six years and agreements to settle the disputes have been achieved with government ministries without the need to go through the courts. Some disputes were between private companies while others were between public and private sector organizations, said Al-Fuhaid. He noted that his organization has approved the creation of an arbitration authority that would work on speeding up the process of solving disputes between businessmen and investors in the tourism industry. Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, deputy secretary-general of the ATO, said a number of Arab states have stopped issuing tourism visas for security reasons. He added the main challenge facing the tourism sector is an absence of insurance for businessmen willing to invest and establish diversified tourism activities. “Such insurance can encourage businessmen to invest in various projects,” he said. Sudanese Minister of Tourism, Antiquities and Wildlife Muhammad Abdul Kareem denied that Saudi tourists were in danger while camping in Sudan. However, he added that tourists should book only through certified tourist agencies. Palestinian Minister of Tourism Rula Maayah called on Arab tourists to visit Jerusalem since it has been chosen as the Islamic tourism destination of the year. Al-Fuhaid said the ATO would support the city by organizing a grand event in cooperation with their partners including the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism, the Arab League and the Islamic Development Bank. The ATO executive council organized a meeting recently to address to insure tourism investments in the region. It also signed a memorandum of understanding with Prince Naif University. Representatives from Bahrain and Morocco also attended the meeting organized under the patronage of Prince Sultan Bin Salman, head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
