Monday 18 / November / 2024
Muscat: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Tourism, hosted at the ministry’s headquarters yesterday the official celebration of the Arab Tourism Day under the theme of “Tourism and Sustainable Development”.
The event coincides with the International Day of the Tourist Guide, which falls on February 21 each year.
The celebration was held in the presence of Maithaa bint Saif Al Mahrouqiyah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Dr. Bandar bin Fahd Al Fahid, Chairman of the Arab Tourism Organization (ATO).
Al Mahrouqiyah said that the ATO chose February 24 as a day of the Arab Tourism to commemorate the birth of the Arab Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta. Ibn Battuta is considered one of the most famous travellers who wrote about his journeys.
During the ceremony, Ahmed bin Nasser Al Meherzi, Minister of Tourism, was awarded the Arab Tourism Key for the year 2018. He is the second person in the Arab world to receive this honour after Prince Faisal bin Mish’al bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al Qassim Region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Al- Mahrouqiyah received the Arab Tourism Key on behalf of the Minister of Tourism.
The event celebrated the Omani tourist guides on the occasion of the International Day of the Tourist Guide, in addition to giving a presentation that highlighted the major efforts exerted by the Ministry and contribution of tour guides in the tourism sector. On the sidelines of the ceremony, the Undersecretary of Tourism opened an accompanying exhibition.
