Qatar Tourism (QT) hosted the 51st meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East and the ‘Sports Tourism and the Tourism Industry After the World Cup’ conference over two consecutive days last week.
The first event featured high-level delegations from 13 member states. The meeting focused on evaluating achievements, analysing sector trends, and identifying key priorities for boosting tourism in the region.
The UN Tourism confirmed that the Middle East had the fastest global recovery from the impacts of the pandemic in 2024. The meeting emphasised the importance of regional co-operation.
Kuwait was appointed to serve as chair of the Regional Commission for the 2025-2027 period, with Qatar appointed as first vice-chair and Iraq as second vice-chair. Qatar’s appointment as first vice-chair reflects its growing leadership in the tourism sector and its active role in driving regional and global tourism development.
The meeting also confirmed that Kuwait will host the next session (the 52nd Regional Meeting) in 2026, underscoring the continued regional collaboration to promote sustainable tourism development in the Middle East.
The ‘Sports Tourism and the Tourism Industry After the World Cup’ conference event brought together experts and specialists to discuss the impact of major sporting events on tourism in the region, focusing on how to leverage the momentum from large-scale events such as the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to boost sports tourism.
The conference highlighted Qatar’s successes in this area and the role of major investments in sports clubs and global athletes in reinforcing the Middle East’s position as a prominent sports and tourism hub globally.
The conference also explored the role of technology in enhancing the sports tourism experience in the region, the collaboration between Qatar and neighbouring countries to establish the Middle East as a global sports tourism destination, and the role of sports in promoting the destination’s brand across the region, drawing from Qatar’s successful experiences and lessons learned.
These events reinforce QT’s commitment to enhancing the country’s status as a global tourism hub, hosting major events, and developing innovative strategies to support sustainable tourism. This is in line with Qatar’s broader vision to drive economic growth and strengthen tourism as a vital sector for the future, a statement added.
