The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) represented Bahrain at the 25th UNWTO General Assembly held in Uzbekistan.
Leading Bahrain's delegation was Dr. Nasser Qaedi, CEO of BTEA, along with representatives from over 150 member nations, including ministers and senior tourism officials.
During the opening of the UNWTO General Assembly sessions, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan recognized the challenges the tourism sector has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the vital role of tourism in the global economy. He mentioned that tourism contributed around 10% of the world's GDP and 7% of its exports before the pandemic.
Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, emphasized the significance of the Assembly as a collective effort to advance common priorities for the future of tourism, particularly in the areas of investments and education.
On the sidelines of the 25th UNWTO General Assembly, Dr. Qaedi held discussions with the UNWTO Secretary-General, focusing on Bahrain's progress in the tourism sector and exploring opportunities for cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
The meeting touched upon multiple projects between Bahrain and the UNWTO, further solidifying Bahrain's role in UNWTO operations as part of its membership in the UNWTO executive council.
Dr. Qaedi also met with his counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), emphasizing the importance of collaborative tourism efforts to promote GCC countries as leading tourism destinations.
He took part in a high-level ministerial panel at the global tourism education forum, alongside other tourism ministers from various countries.
BTEA's delegation also participated in two executive council meetings.
Bahrain was recognized as one of the fastest-growing tourism markets during the 25th UNWTO General Assembly, and the Kingdom was awarded the privilege of hosting the 9th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in 2024, which is the world's largest gastronomy tourism event.
Dr. Qaedi expressed the importance of the General Assembly as a platform to identify opportunities for crafting policies and tools to enhance sustainable tourism development, bridge skill gaps, and create value-added job opportunities.
He stressed the commitment of BTEA to showcase UNWTO initiatives and enhance cooperation to promote Bahrain as a destination and strengthen international travel and tourism partnerships.
Dr. Qaedi highlighted the Kingdom's promising tourism strategy for 2022-2026, which aims to diversify products, increase the tourism sector's contribution to GDP, attract more global tourists, and drive tourism investments, job creation, and creative initiatives to support tourism development.
Under the theme 'Crossroads of Cultures,' the UNWTO General Assembly hosted a diverse range of activities aimed at accelerating the tourism sector's recovery. This major UN tourism event included two thematic forums on education and investments, as well as various meetings focused on education, innovation, and sustainability, providing a platform for participants to share their perspectives and concerns to shape the future activities and projects of the UNWTO