Global Tourism and Google are organizing a tourism accelerator program in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy
The World Tourism Organization and Google recently organized the first tourism accelerator program in the Middle East and North Africa region, with the participation of local tourism authorities and representatives of the tourism and travel sector in the UAE, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy.
This program comes to achieve the most important objectives of the national strategy to revitalize tourism, which aims to support the growth of domestic tourism companies and provide all necessary facilities.
The initiative, which was established through virtual platforms, aims to develop the skills of dealing with digital technologies for those involved in the tourism sector in the member states of the World Tourism Organization, as this approach constitutes a fundamental pillar in achieving a rapid and sustainable recovery.
The cooperation with the World Tourism Organization falls within the framework of the UAE’s endeavors to increase the efficiency and productivity of the tourism sector by consolidating the partnership between the public and private sectors to enhance the sector’s readiness for the post-Covid-19 phase.
The contribution of the domestic tourism sector to the national economy of the UAE in the year 2019 reached 41.2 billion dirhams ($ 11.2 billion), and the domestic tourism revenue reached 23% of the total tourism sector revenues, compared to the contribution of foreign tourism, which recorded 77%. The country is working to double domestic tourism revenues and achieve a greater balance between domestic tourism and outbound tourism by 2030.
Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Hamid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity of proficiency in dealing with digital tools and solutions, and countries must enhance their capabilities in the digital field due to the dynamic nature of the tourism sector that is witnessing Continuous developments, as this approach will accelerate the pace of recovery and increase efficiency in dealing with crises and challenges in the future. The UAE will continue its support for the private sector to achieve smart transformation, given the great role that readiness and digital infrastructure have played in limiting the repercussions of the pandemic on various sectors. The participation of the tourism sector in this joint session is the sector’s keenness to enhance its capabilities and expertise in line with rapid developments. During the last period, the Ministry of Economy announced its support for the partnership between the World Tourism Organization and Google to launch a series of accelerator programs.
This initiative targets executive work teams within government tourism agencies, travel and tourism associations, unions and councils, and destination promotion in a number of OIC member states.
This program contributes to upgrading skills and capabilities within the tourism sector by informing the stakeholders of the sector about the visions, ideas and proposals of the organization and "Google" in this regard.
The World Tourism Organization and Google are organizing the Tourism Accelerators Program in the MENA region, which is specifically designed to promote innovation and digital transformation in the tourism sector in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
