Al Ain’s UNESCO status to drive responsible tourism in UAE: expert
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The inclusion of Al Ain – Abu Dhabi emirate’s second city and its heritage heartland – on the UNESCO World Heritage List represents a huge opportunity for responsible tourism in the UAE to flourish, with the country’s ‘Oasis City’ at the forefront, an industry expert has claimed.Justin Francis, co-founder of the pioneering travel website, responsibletravel.com, will spotlight current consumer trends in travel related to responsible tourism when he joins an international line-up of speakers at the second World Green Tourism conference taking place at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from December 5-7.”As the first UAE site to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage list, a great responsibility comes with having what is now recognised as one of the world’s greatest and most important cultural treasures,” said Francis.”It will be thrust into the spotlight as a remarkable place to visit, and all eyes will be watching to see how it is being conserved for future generations. I encourage the UAE to embrace this responsibility and benefit from a huge opportunity for responsible tourism in the country to flourish, with Al Ain at the forefront.”The commitment to preserving the natural and cultural heritage in the region has been highlighted recently with Jordan’s Wadi Rum and the ancient villages of Northern Syria also being granted world heritage status by UNESCO. Wadi Rum has joined three other sites in Jordan – Petra, Quseir Amra and Um er-Rasas – on the list.As with most Middle East countries, tourism is a crucial element to economic growth in Jordan and Oman. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution from tourism to Jordan’s GDP for 2011 is expected to reach nearly $2.5bn, (8.3% of GDP), and generate 130,000 jobs.An influx of nearly 4.5 million tourists is expected to visit the country in 2011.The expected contribution from travel and tourism to Oman’s GDP for 2011 is $1.9bn (3% of GDP), generating 35,000 jobs directly (3.2% of total employment). The country is expected to attract 1.2 million international tourists.Among the other high profile speaker at the World Green Tourism conference is H.H. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Nuaimi, the Environment Advisor for Ajman Government, most commonly referred to as ‘The Green Sheikh’. The event is held under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, ADTA’s Chairman.
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