Aviation experts project positive outlook for travel and tourism in the region

Dead Sea/Amman: Arab Aviation Summit, the most prominent aviation event in Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region, concluded on Monday as government officials, and senior executives from the civil aviation and tourism industry gathered by the Dead Sea in Jordan to reflect on the past developments and future trends shaping the future of the avia-tourism industry in the region.
Taking place under the patronage of Lina Annab, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Jordan, the summit has brought together top executives from the aviation and tourism sector by the Dead Sea, Jordan to explore this year’s theme ‘Linking Cultures, Driving Economies’.
In honour of the occasion, the Arab Tourism Organisation of the Arab League and the Arab Aviation Summit signed a memorandum of understanding at the event, which marks a firm commitment to future cooperation.
The summit opened with a welcome address by the Arab Aviation Summit Chairperson Adel Al Ali, in which he highlighted the important relationship between aviation and tourism while encouraging a holistic, collaborative approach to the region’s travel industry to achieve further growth and momentum.
Lina Annab said that aviation and tourism cannot be seen in isolation. Commenting on growth in the travel and tourism sector, which is outpacing growth in other sectors in national economies, the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities highlighted airport infrastructure, visa processes, and taxes and other levies as issues that need to be prioritised by governments and approached collectively.
Dr. Bandar Fahad Al Fehaid, President, Arab Tourism Organisation of the Arab League, commented that there is no tourism without aviation, and no aviation without tourism. Speaking of the Organisation’s vision to support the growth of these vital industries in the coming years, Dr. Bandar Fahad Al Fehaid informed attendees that 12 per cent of the total working opportunities in the Arab world come from the tourism industry and there is significant potential to increase this further.