The Lebanese Minister Tourism, Ali Hassan Abdullah, on Thursday inaugurated the Arab Tourism Forum, which is organized by the Arab League in cooperation with the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism.
The Saudi delegation to the Forum is led by Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Secretary General of the Higher Tourism Commission.
Addressing the Forum, Prince Sultan bin Salman stressed the important role of tourism in contemporary economies, and said that tourism promotes diversification of income sources. He noted that the Saudi government accords great importance to development of the Kingdom’s tourist industry, which it considers a strategic option. The contribution of tourism sector to the national economy amounts to approximately 8.8% of the Kingdom’s Gross National Product (GNP).
Prince Sultan bin Salman said that the future of the tourism sector in the Kingdom is bright and promising, and that the industry is expected to create between 1.5 and 2.3million job opportunities by the year 2020. He stressed the importance of joint projects in the tourism sector, and urged Arab countries to correct the mistaken images of society and instability in Arab countries promoted by Western media and to reiterate the keenness of Arab countries to ensure the safety of residents and tourists.
Source: SPA
