UAE participates in extraordinary meeting of tourism ministers of G20 countries

Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, participated in the extraordinary meeting of ministers of tourism of G20 countries.

The meeting discussed the latest developments to the current coronavirus crisis and its effects on the tourism sector, as well as ways of supporting the sector by coordinating global efforts, protecting investors, travellers and workers, and increasing the sector’s readiness and sustainability.

The meeting was remotely held under the chairmanship of Ahmed Al Khatib, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the meetings of the G20 in 2020.

The meeting was attended by tourism ministers and sector representatives from G20 countries, along with representatives of international organisations, such as the World Tourism Organisation, the World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD.

In his intervention, Al Mansouri stressed that the tourism sector is a key national sector, with a total GDP contribution of about 11.9 percent, and creates some 745,000 jobs, according to the WTTC’s data for 2019.

"Tourism is a flexible sector that will recover quickly from crises, as we have seen in previous global crises. Although it is one of the most affected sectors, we believe that it will be one of the first to recover, and it will play a key role in supporting the national economy,"

Al Mansouri said.

"It is important to remember the achievements and contributions made by the tourism sector in our countries, as it is the sector that supports national companies and local communities around the world. This sector also helps governments to create a better life for their citizens and jobs for millions around the world. Tourism is one of the vital contributors to the national economies of many countries around the world,"

he added.

"The UAE, since the start of the current crisis, has implemented many measures to reduce its effects, and is working around the clock to mitigate its social and economic repercussions. This was achieved through a national crisis management team that confronted the spread of the virus and supported our health infrastructure, as well as through the adoption of many precautionary measures and the construction of specialist testing centres within a few short days, which increased the number of tests and the rate of early detection of cases,"

Al Mansouri said in conclusion.

News Source : http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302839292