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Tourism Programs Suggested in OIC Tehran Meeting for next meeting in Azerbaijan, Baku: Tourism Programs Suggested in OIC Tehran Meeting for next meeting in Azerbaijan, Baku |
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Tourism Programs Suggested in OIC Tehran Meeting for next meeting in Azerbaijan, BakuPrograms of action for the improvement of tourism were provided in the expert group meeting of OIC member states on tourism from 11-14 July 2005 held in Tehran. The programs are:1 Increasing the public awareness in the OIC countries about the existing tourist resources and facilities in the Islamic world with a view to encourage tourist visits to other Islamic countries by providing full information to potential visitors. Means and Modalities of Implementation 1.1 Preparation of promotional material like brochures, posters, guidebooks, practical multi-lingual phrase books, TV programs, and video cassettes by the relevant national authorities and making them readily available in sufficient quantities inside and outside the country. 1.2 Preparation of special material in the languages most widely used and spoken in the OIC community for extensive distribution to the media and the public in all the member countries. 1.3 Putting out by IRCICA in close cooperation with and financial support from the desirous member countries of guidebooks on monuments and artifacts of Islamic culture and art in those member countries in the various OIC languages for dissemination. 2 Establishment of direct contacts among the relevant parties concerned with tourism in the member countries on promotion of tourism in the sub-regions, regions and the whole of the Islamic world. Means and Modalities of Implementation 2.1 Official meetings to exchange views and experiences and develop modalities of cooperation among governments in response to the needs expressed in the areas of tourism policy planning, promotion, incentives, and other issues. In this context, the ministers of tourism could hold occasional meetings under the aegis of COMCEC. 2.2 Initiation of periodic consultative fora among the representatives of the privates enterprise in the area of tourism in the member countries in order to facilitate the exchange of views and experiences on the prevalent problems in the sector and to seek solution for them through cooperative action and by affecting joint representations to the governments. 2.3 Organization of issue-oriented workshops, seminars, and symposia on immediate problems of common interest to allow for the development of new perspective, modalities, and possible cooperative action in order to promote, expand, and diversity tourist activities in the member countries. 3 Creation of the appropriate legal, institutional, and administrative conditions and environment in the member countries in support of an expanded tourist activity among the member countries. Means and Modalities of Implementation 3.1 Simplification of visa, customs, and foreign exchange formalities on a reciprocal basis for tourists from other OIC countries, and development of the necessary measures and mechanisms for the prevention of fraud and crime against tourists from the OIC community. 4 Encouraging and facilitating joint tourism ventures and other investments in the member countries by the private sector in the expansion and upgrading of the existing tourist capacities and activities and for the construction new facilities of appropriate quality and service standards, using up-to-date technologies. Means and Modalities of Implementation 4.1 To consider the possibility of developing comparable sets of incentives in the member countries, on a reciprocal basis, to ensure a large role for the private sector in various facets of tourism activity in the member countries. 4.2 Giving prominence to tourism-related investments and activities in the foreign investment legislation of the member countries. 4.3 Development of special incentives addressed to tourism-related investors and operators from the OIC member countries in the form of project assistance, concessionary finance, and special facilities for tourism related imports, transfers of technology and profit transfers. 5 Encourage and support the activities relating to the development of the necessary human capital in the area of tourism to ensure the availability of managerial and service personnel of international standards. Means and Modalities of Implementation 5.1 Upgrading, expansion, and proliferation of the technical and vocational training institutions in the area of tourism in the Islamic world to be able to meet the continuously expanding skilled manpower requirements of the tourist facilities in the Islamic world. 5.2 Promotion of national higher vocational institutions to educate the teachers and trainers needed in the technical training institutions, as well as local staff to be employed in supervisory and managerial capacities in the tourist facilities. 5.3 Development of technical cooperation programs among the member countries, with the help of the relevant OIC and other international organizations such as World Tourism Organization (WTO) and World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) in order to (a) open up to existing tourism-related training facilities in the member countries to students and trainers from other countries, (b) facilitate exchange of skilled personnel and administrations among the member countries and (c) initiate arrangements among member countries for imparting on the job training in different tourist facilities in the Islamic world. Recommendations 1- On the presentation by the Head of the Guinean Delegation on Creation of a Network of Cross-border Parks and Reserves in West Africa, which is a joint project initiated by Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, the meeting congratulated those member states for their cooperation in this project and took note with appreciation of the said project and requested the OIC organs and specialized institutions to support this project. The meeting is of the view that this project will be submitted for consideration to the next session of the COMCEC to held in Istanbul, on 22-25 November 2005. 2- To increase the share of OIC member states in international tourism market, as it was proposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, a master plan for tourism development of OIC member countries including policies and strategies, objectives, missions, means and modalities, plan of actions, time table the role of member states, subsidiary specialized and affiliated OIC institutions should be prepared to be included on the Agenda for the next Expert Group Meeting of OIC member states on tourism. The plan will be submitted to CMCEC and the Islamic Conference for the Ministers of Tourism. 3- The meeting calls on the member states to participate actively in the first tourism fair of Islamic countries to be organized by the Republic of Turkey and the ICDT in Istanbul from 24-26 November 2005 on the sidelines of the 21st session of the COMCEC. 4- Islamic chamber of commerce and industry in cooperation with the Supreme Commission for Tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry is organizing the First Forum of Tourism in Islamic Countries in Riyadh, kingdom of Saudi Arabia on April 24-26, 2006, under the theme ?Towards integration of Tourism among Islamic Countries?. The meeting calls on the member states to participate actively in the said forum. 5- The meeting also calls on the member states to actively participate in the 5th Conference of Ministers of Tourism to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2006. 6- The meeting agreed that its report and recommendations will be submitted through the General Secretariat of OIC to the next session of the COMCEC to be held in Istanbul, Republic of Turkey, from 22-25 November 2005 and to the next meeting of the ministers of tourism to be held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan in 2006. 7- The participants ? delegation of Guinea from African Group, delegation of Republic of Azerbaijan from Asian Group, and delegation of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from Arab Group ? expressed appreciation to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the warm welcome and hospitality and for hosting the First Expert Group Meeting of OIC member states in Tehran. 8- The participants also expressed their gratitude to the Chairman for the excellent steering of the meeting?s deliberations. 9- The participants also thanked the Islamic Development Bank for providing financial assistance for this meeting. |
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