Officials and representatives from tourism authorities and ministries from around the world will gather in Doha on September 27 for participating in the World Tourism Day (WTD) celebrations.
The event has the theme ‘Sustainable Tourism – A Tool for Development’ this year. It will be held under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani.
The Qatar Tourism Authority said that the delegations will explore tourism’s role in sustainable development at a WTD Forum, which will be officiated by HE Sheikh Abdullah at the inauguration ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.
QTA noted that a number of senior Qatari officials will also be speaking at the full-day event.
QTA’s chief tourism development officer Hassan al-Ibrahim said, “The Qatari officials speaking at the WTD Forum are all intricately involved in the country’s pursuit of environmental, societal and economic sustainability.”
“WTD also seeks out ways to capitalise on the potential of ongoing tourism projects to achieve sustainability for our nations,” he added.
The UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai said, “This year’s event gains particular relevance as we celebrate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Qatar’s commitment to developing its tourism sector is clear, as proven by its recent decision to grant visa-free entry to visitors from 80 countries.”
