(TAN): UNWTO recently concluded its first executive training for the Middle East programme, as part of its initiatives on tourism for rural development, the UN agency said in a statement.
Under the theme ‘Tourism for Rural Development: A Practical Approach to Strategy and Product Development,’ the three-day session was held at the UNWTO regional office for the Middle East in Riyadh to address the needs for continuous skills development for ensuring sustained learning, adaptation, and innovation.
Sultan AlMusallam, deputy minister for international affairs, Saudi Ministry of Tourism, said: “This training programme demonstrates how determined and keen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UNWTO are to promote the role of the Regional Office for the Middle East, and to provide every support and assistance possible to the Member States of the Organization in the region.”
UNWTO Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic said: “In the post-pandemic world, the role of tourism in rural development is more relevant than ever. Rural tourism has a high potential to empower local communities, stimulate local economic growth and social change.”
The training session was aimed at managers in charge of rural tourism in National Tourism Administrations from across the region. Around 35 participants from 10 countries took part in the event, representing Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Sessions focused on issues such as incorporating sustainability dimensions in tourism planning, setting indicators to measure rural tourism strategies, dealing with the specificities of the rural tourism offer and demand, understanding the concept of community engagement through community-based tourism and conducting practical exercises on experiences related to gastronomy, adventure, cultural and ecotourism.
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The UNWTO Tourism for Rural Development Programme was designed to make tourism a driver of rural development and well-being. It aims to advance the role of tourism in valuing and safeguarding rural territories along with their associated landscapes, knowledge systems, natural and cultural diversity, local values, and activities. The programme also aims to promote innovative and transformative approaches for the development of tourism in rural destinations that contribute to the three pillars of sustainability – economic, social, and environmental – in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
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