Joint international action to supportthe world's crippled travel industry through the coronavirus pandemicwas now a global priority, Saudi Arabia's tourism minister said on Friday.
Ahmed Al-Khatib was speaking after taking part in a remote meetingcalled by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) with theparticipation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and tourism chiefs fromaround the globe.
The Saudi minister pointed out the importance of the UNWTO,private sector, and international community working together to developconcrete and decisive solutions aimed at minimizing the financial impact of thedeadly virus outbreak on declining tourism revenues.
Meeting delegates discussed the social and economic implicationsof the health crisis on the world.
Al-Khatib said: "We are confident that if appropriate actions aretaken and working closely together, we will be able to implement policies andmeasures that will help all of us to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak and itseffects, protect human lives, and the global economy.
"We, in the Kingdom, as a tourist destination with huge potentialfor growth, trust the flexibility of our tourism sector in the medium and longterm. But this does not mean there is no need for more effort and immediatesupport for the sector.
"We are consulting with our major partners around the world,including both industry partners, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)and the (UN) World Tourism Organization, in order to ensure our continuation todevelop appropriate measures to support the tourism sector in the Kingdom," headded.
The minister noted that the WTTC had estimated a 25 percent slumpin the global number of tourists this year, putting up to 50 million jobs atrisk.
He called for a strong international response and multilateralactions to alleviate the impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry.
