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News from
the World Tourism Organization
STATE OF QATAR
FIRST MIDDLE EAST COUNTRY TO HOST WORLD
TOURISM DAY 2005
HOST
COUNTRY QATAR TO SHOWCASE ITS ACHIEVEMENTS
AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
DOHA, 9
September 2005 - The State of Qatar will
proudly host this year's World Tourism Day
on the 27th of September. Celebrations
will include Qatar's first National
Tourism Conference and a series of
accompanying events, announced Qatar
Tourism Authority.
Qatar will
take this opportunity to evaluate its
remarkable achievements in establishing
itself as a tourism destination and
important player in international travel.
At the same time it will commence a new
era of public-private partnership in
tourism, especially in light of ambitious
plans for the forthcoming period,
including infrastructure associated with
the new airport and organization of events
such as the Asian Games in
2006.
World
Tourism Day (WTD) is celebrated worldwide
every 27th September. The World Tourism
Organization (WTO) General Assembly at its
15th session in Beijing, China (2003),
designated Qatar to be the first WTD host
country in the Middle East.
"It (WTD)
will be a day of a special importance for
our country," said The Chairman of the
Qatar Tourism Authority H.E. Mr. Akbar Al
Baker. The theme of this year's WTD is
"Travel and Transport: From the
Imagination of Jules Verne to 21st Century
Reality".
Speakers
at the National Tourism Conference will
include the WTO Secretary-General
Francesco Frangialli and representatives
of Qatar's hotel industry, travel agencies
and other segments. "We expect an
enriching conference, which will
facilitate an important dialogue between
the private and the public sectors." Main
partner of the event will be Qatar
Airways.
Several
accompanying events will highlight the
importance of tourism among the local
population. "We shall convey a clear
message that tourism, if developed and
managed in a sustainable manner will
benefit our culture,environment, economy
and enhance the positive image of Qatar in
the world,"the QTA Chairman H.E. Mr. Akbar
Al Baker underscored.
Organized
by the World Tourism Organization, a
United Nations specialised agency for
tourism based in Madrid, Spain, WTD is an
international day meant to foster
awareness among the international
community of the importance of tourism and
its social, cultural, political and
economic values.
About
World Tourism Day
The
mission of World Tourism Day (WTD) is to
foster awareness among the international
community of the importance of tourism and
its social,cultural, political and
economic values. WTD is commemorated under
different themes on 27 September each year
since 1980 by appropriate event son themes
selected by the WTO General Assembly. The
World Tourism Organization is the leading
international tourism body and a
specialised agency of the United Nations
with a seat in Madrid, Spain. Its
membership's comprised of 146 Member
States, seven Associate Members and more
than 300 Affiliate Members representing
the private sector. For more information
visit:
www.world-tourism.org/wtd/eng/menu.html or
www.world-tourism.org
For
further information please
contact:
WTO Press
and Communications Department
Tel.: (34)
91-567-8193 / Fax: (34)
91-567-8218
E-mail:
comm@world-tourism.org
www.world-tourism.org
www.qatartourism.gov.qa
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..World
Tourism Organization
