Arab Tourism Day celebrations today

MUSCAT: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Tourism, will host at the ministry’s HQs’ today the official celebration of the Arab Tourism Day, which comes this year under the theme of “Tourism and Sustainable Development”.

The celebrations will be held in the presence of Maitha bint Saif al Mahrouqiya, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Dr Bandar bin Fahd al Fahid, Chairman of the Arab Tourism Organization.

The Ministry of Tourism will also honour the tour guides in conjunction with the celebration of the International Tourist Guide Day, with the participation of the Arab Tourism Organization and in the presence of officials from the ministry and representatives from the tourism sector.

The celebration of the Arab Tourism Day comes on February 24 of each year to celebrate the birth of the Arab Scholar Ibn Battuta.

The ceremony will honour the voyage of the renowned scholar ‘ Ibn Battuta’ and his significant historic role during his travels and excursions around the world which enriched the Arab culture.

The event will showcase a tribute of the famous traveller to the Sultanate describing the elements of the natural environment and its ancient civilisation. The annual Arab Tourism Day is a translation of the decision taken by the Arab Ministers of Tourism at the 17th Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism meeting held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in November 2014.

The celebration also aims at highlighting the cultural and tourism landmarks in the Arab countries, within the sustainable development through various programmes that come within the objectives of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism and the Arab Tourism Organization in efforts to make the Arab region as a tourist destination.

This year, the theme of the Arab Tourism Day aims to implement the principles of sustainable development in different tourism destinations, to ensure their long-term sustainability without compromising the specific environmental, cultural, social and economic components of each country.

The event will also celebrate the Omani tourist guides on the occasion of the International Day of the Tourist Guide, which falls on February 21 of each year.

Further, a presentation will highlight the important efforts exerted by the ministry and contribution of tour guides in the tourism sector.

This occasion draws the attention of the quality and value of the work of professional tourist guides.

During the ceremony, an accompanying exhibition will present initiatives and projects that will shed light on the efforts made by the SME’s, the public and private sector.

The exhibition will also feature a glimpse of the Sultanate’s heritage.