The 3rd Arab Tourism Security Forum was inaugurated in Doha on Tuesday and dedicated a session to discussing the infrastructure of tourist destinations, along with the risks of investments in the tourism sector and the possible guarantees required in this respect.
Moderated by director of security research and studies center Lt Col Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Obaidly, the session was addressed by Manager of Shared Services Department at Qatar Tourism, Omar Abdulrahman Al Jaber, Secretary General of the Arab Tourism Organization, Sherif Fathi Attia, minister plenipotentiary and director of the Tourism Department at the General-Secretariat of Arab League, Dr. Bahjat Abul-Nasr, alongside HE Director-General of the business development department at the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), Yasser Madani Allaqi.
The speakers gave explanations about the tourist destinations, their inclusiveness, objectives, significance of focusing on digital transformation, in addition to
utilizing electronic applications in streamlining the procedures for tourists, preserving sustainable environment, as well as enhancing ecotourism in the Arab region.
The session shed light on green tourism, risks of tourist investments, methods of providing essential assurances in this respect, along with building strategies and role of electronic applications and their available paths in tourist destinations. The speakers unequivocally highlighted the issue of infrastructure for tourism and concurred in the criticality of upgrading electronic programmes and creating sophisticated tourist programmes in the Arab countries as prerequisite, in addition to optimizing investment and business environments.
The speakers discussed digital transformation such as providing electronic channels for tourists methodically, the significance of taking decisions through electronic channels such as tickets booking and flexibility of adjusting schedules, as well as handling tourists’ procedures in airports followed by the ph
ase of post-flight debrief and appraisal.
The speakers noted the experience of Qatar in digital transformation, particularly with respect to procedures and transactions in hotels, booking and visa management through utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI), providing the programmes that support this transformation and connecting security networks with the National Command Center.
Regarding the tourist investment, the speakers affirmed that Arab countries need investments in roads, transport, and hospitals, as well as other types of investments to boost tourism sector, in addition to upgrading a system of rules, legislations and governance in the Arab states to further encourage private sector for such investments.
The session was punctuated by constructive discussions that underscored the significance of upgrading core infrastructures for tourist destinations in the Arab states, along with the efforts made by all entities. The forum primarily discusses a myriad of themes mechanisms tourism industry through a
n array of panel discussions, such as infrastructure of tourist destinations through securing airports against potential risks as per global specifications, laying out the experience of Qatar that was achieved on a par with the security and safety of fans in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament, as well as risks of tourist investments and guarantee mechanism.
In addition, the forum discusses rights and duties of tourists, rights of travelers and media and their role in raising the tourist awareness, as well as cybersecurity, particularly with respect to cybercrimes and their impact on tourists, AI applications and mechanism of countering fraud crimes the tourists are exposed to via credit cards.
The forum also features a session themed: Securing tourists and tourist facilities, which obviously focuses on discussing the mechanism of countering disasters and tourist crises, along with Arab experiences in tourist security.
Source: Qatar News Agency