COVID Effects on Tourism Discussed at 34th UNWTO Meeting in Maldives
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The 34th meeting of the World Tourism Organization Commission was held in the Maldives, discussing issues like the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the world tourism industry.
The meeting of the Joint East Asia-Pacific Commission and the South Asia Commission of the World Tourism Organization and UNWTO Tourism Roundtable was held with the virtual participation of the Director General of Marketing and Foreign Tourism Development of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Handicrafts as the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Maldives.
The 34th meeting of the Joint Commission on East Asia and the Pacific and the South Asia Commission of the World Tourism Organization and the UNWTO Tourism Roundtable on Flexibility through Innovation and Digitization's International Meeting on Community-Based Tourism. The torpedo was held in the Maldives in the presence of Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
In this meeting, the Director General of the Office of Marketing and Development of Foreign Tourism, while appreciating the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization and his team on how to manage and take action against the coronavirus crisis, presented a report on the activities and actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
He raised issues such as the damage caused by the coronavirus to the world tourism industry, tourism businesses and the tourism industry of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and advised to reconsider the future of world tourism and how governments act in similar long-term crises. Issues such as digitizing processes and encouraging outbound tourists to travel within the country were highlighted.
Also, other issues such as considering tax and insurance exemptions in the field of tourism and tourism facilities, such as reducing the relevant costs in the energy sector for hotels and travel and tourism services offices, enacting laws and guidelines to improve the health status of tourism and related businesses. Most importantly, in the field of health protocols and security of tourism facilities, along with re-stimulating the demand rate by promoting safe destinations in the region and neighboring countries, was also raised by the Director General of Foreign Tourism Marketing and Advertising.
According to Ajdari, digitalization of certification processes and licenses of tourism facilities, taking special measures to include tourism jobs and activities to receive pensions in the priority list of governments, creating a comprehensive education system based on tourism to raise public awareness and tourism stakeholders and focus. Target markets and regional cooperation in order to accelerate the process of improving the tourism situation by injecting financial aid was another part of Torpedo's speech at this global event.
The meeting was also attended by Harry Huang, Director of the Asia-Pacific Region, who presented the annual report of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Representatives of Japan, Indonesia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Myanmar, Macau, Philippines, China, Malaysia, Fiji and Laos spoke at the meeting about the measures taken in their country to restore tourism in the post-corona period.
