• The State of Kuwait has been appointed as the Chair of the Regional Committee for the 2025-2027 term, and The State of Qatar has been appointed as the First Vice-Chair of the committee.

Qatar Tourism hosted the 51st meeting of the UN Tourism Regional Commission for the Middle East on February 12, 2025, with high-level delegations from thirteen 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 cooperation. 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.

Additionally, Qatar Tourism hosted the "Sports Tourism and the Tourism Industry After the World Cup" conference on February 13, 2025. The 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 Qatar Tourism’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.

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For media-related inquiries, please contact Qatar Tourism’s Press Office on: pressoffice@visitqatar.qa  

About Qatar Tourism

Qatar Tourism’s mission is to establish Qatar as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment, rooted in Service Excellence. Qatar Tourism will regulate and develop the tourism industry, encouraging investment from the private sector. It will set the national strategy for the tourism sector, reviewing it periodically and overseeing its implementation, with the aim of diversifying tourism offerings in the country and increasing visitor spend. Through our network of international offices in priority markets, and cutting-edge digital platforms, Qatar Tourism is expanding Qatar’s presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector.

Web: www.visitqatar.qa