2 days Ago By [email protected] (MENAFN)
Doha, Qatar: In a significant development for the Middle East, the UN's Tourism Online Academy, funded by the government of Saudi Arabia, has become a key player in enhancing education across the region. With over 8,800 students enrolled from various nationalities, Qatar stands out as the second-largest contributor to this growing educational initiative, said a top official. Speaking to The Peninsula, Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director emphasised that education remains a“top priority” for the region, and the online academy, offering over 10 new courses in Arabic, aims to equip the workforce with the necessary skills for a sustainable and value-driven economy.
She said,“Qatar is the second nationality in the ranking; the first one is Saudi when it comes to education, and this sector, in particular, has been our key priority because if you grow but don't have a trained workforce, you cannot talk about a sustainable and an added value economic sector and therefore, we have been promoting the online academy.” Bayona noted that the Tourism Online Academy is partnering with prestigious European institutions like Les Roches, Glion, and École du Casse, shaping the future of the tourism industry by providing top-tier courses to students across the Middle East, including Qatar. She lauded the region for leading the world in tourism growth, remarking that Qatar stands out as the top performer, experiencing an impressive 162 percent growth in tourism, making it the fastest-growing country globally.
Following Qatar, Albania ranks second, while Colombia comes in third, Morocco is fourth, and El Salvador takes the fifth spot.“We are witnessing a surge in emerging markets, which are growing at an extraordinary pace. Now is the perfect time for the Middle East to align efforts and continue driving this impressive growth,” she said.
The official underscored that the tourism academy is making“significant progress” by introducing services designed to help individuals in the tourism sector. In addition to education, the academy focuses on investment promotion. She said,“We are collaborating with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, and Egypt to develop investment guidelines that highlight the benefits of investing in these destinations.
” “In Qatar, we are also collaborating on the Women in Tech competition to identify innovators who are bringing new technologies to the country, particularly in tourism. This will enable us to introduce smart services, not only at airports but also in the hospitality sector,” Bayona said. The UN Tourism executive director also highlighted that the organisation is advancing the 'sports tourism strategy', with a focus on the results achieved through using sports as a platform to boost tourism.
“We are discussing more technicalities with Qatari officials, exploring how the country can serve as a model for growth in sports tourism,” she added. MENAFN31032025000063011010ID1109373386 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article.
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