Saudi- Arab antiquities facing danger warns ATO
(MENAFN- Arab News) Bandar bin Fahad Al-Fahaid president of the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO) has confirmed that many archaeological sites across multiple Arab countries presently face immense risks due to the political turmoil that is now occurring as well as in the absence of proper security in these countries to protect these international treasures.
'The ATO does not have enough power to protect all of the antiquities across our diverse Arab countries which currently suffer from domestic conflicts. Several important historical sites are today being threatened by armed groups which do not understand or appreciate their value' Bandar Al-Fahaid said at a press conference which was held at the sidelines of a meeting of the Executive Council of Arab Tourism Organization held in Jeddah recently.
Al-Faihad said that the organization works to activate inter-Arab tourism and integration among Arab countries in the tourism sector and used the occasion to call on the private sector to increase its investments in Arab tourism.
At the moment inter-Arab tourism represents 42 percent of total tourism to Arab states yet it is expected that this high level will decrease by 2020 from 42 to 37percent according to official ATO data.
'The Executive Council of the ATO which includes Sudan Palestine Bahrain and Morocco has discussed several topics with the intention of developing inter-Arab tourism. There are some Arab countries which have been high ranking in these areas like the UAE. However it is important to encourage Arab tourists to visit other Arab countries which have good security situation' he added.
'The organization is interested in increasing Arab investments in the tourism sector in order to create more jobs and to support the Arab private sector in overcoming the difficulties and obstacles that are being faced today in terms of security so that we can support the maintenance of our international treasures' Al-Fahaid concluded.
'The ATO does not have enough power to protect all of the antiquities across our diverse Arab countries which currently suffer from domestic conflicts. Several important historical sites are today being threatened by armed groups which do not understand or appreciate their value' Bandar Al-Fahaid said at a press conference which was held at the sidelines of a meeting of the Executive Council of Arab Tourism Organization held in Jeddah recently.
Al-Faihad said that the organization works to activate inter-Arab tourism and integration among Arab countries in the tourism sector and used the occasion to call on the private sector to increase its investments in Arab tourism.
At the moment inter-Arab tourism represents 42 percent of total tourism to Arab states yet it is expected that this high level will decrease by 2020 from 42 to 37percent according to official ATO data.
'The Executive Council of the ATO which includes Sudan Palestine Bahrain and Morocco has discussed several topics with the intention of developing inter-Arab tourism. There are some Arab countries which have been high ranking in these areas like the UAE. However it is important to encourage Arab tourists to visit other Arab countries which have good security situation' he added.
'The organization is interested in increasing Arab investments in the tourism sector in order to create more jobs and to support the Arab private sector in overcoming the difficulties and obstacles that are being faced today in terms of security so that we can support the maintenance of our international treasures' Al-Fahaid concluded.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment