Introduction:
During the past three decades, Arab Gulf countries have witnessed a remarkable construction progress in all service, industrial and infrastructural facilities, thereby stimulating the growth of tourism in several Gulf countries that have started to encourage and support the creation of tourist projects and have called for local, regional and foreign investments to establish productive partnerships in the field of tourism.
In view of the importance of integrating all efforts made by authorities and states and incorporating them into a joint activity aimed at creating real investment opportunities, the Gulf Tourism Committee under the Federation of GCC Chambers of Commerce has organized this Forum to create a communication channel among officials, concerned parties and investors, thereby setting up a joint action to boost tourism investments in the region. Along with this Conference, an Exhibition is held on tourism in the region and there will be a brief outlook on the investment opportunities in this sector.
At the meetings of the Forum, a large number of senior officials specialized in the tourism and investment fields and representing the public and private sectors will take the floor.
Furthermore, the Forum will include a brief presentation of real investment opportunities in the sector of tourism in the Arab Gulf. There will also be an opportunity to conclude direct transactions at the exhibition.
Date and Venue:
The Forum is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Economic Development Board of the Kingdom of Bahrain, from 14 to 16 February 2006, at the Gulf International Convention Center, Gulf Hotel, Manama City, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Forum Goals:
1. Adopt a tourist marketing and promotional strategy for tourist projects in GCC countries, thereby creating real and executable investment opportunities or, in case these opportunities exist, ensuring local or foreign partners to the Gulf capital.
2. Adopt a mechanism to upgrade the tourism facilities of the basic infrastructure in GCC countries, such hotels, restaurants, communication and transport services including land, air and sea ways
3. Set up tourism packages including price reductions for hotel reservations and traveling tickets; and highlight the situation of tourism in GCC countries as well as the fields of development while emphasizing the experience of every GCC country in the development of tourism and revealing the tourism Gulf product as one product.
4. Closely identify the extent of interaction among the financial and expertise centers in terms of financing tourism projects.
5. Organize an exhibition on tourism in GCC countries including brochures, documentaries related to the investment opportunities in the sector of tourism, as well as relief maps of the most important tourist regions in GCC countries and many other recreational activities to introduce the tourism sector of these countries.
6. Introduce the available investment incentives in GCC countries to attract Gulf and foreign investors to the sector of tourism.
7. Encourage the Gulf environmental tourism and the exchange of tourist trips among Gulf countries.
8. Encourage the private sector and the various financing sources to activate their role in the tourism industry.
Forum Participants:
The participants in the Forum include their Excellencies the Ministers of investment, tourism and development, the leaders of tourism and investment sectors from several GCC countries, the representatives of Arab Chambers of Commerce and Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce, the Arab Funds for the support of investments, public and private investment and tourism companies, banks, all tourism sectors as well as many Arab and foreign businessmen and investors along with international tourism and travel agencies.
Forum Language:
Arabic and English are the languages of the work papers and the relevant workshops with a simultaneous interpretation from and to Arabic and English.
Forum Features:
- It is the first of its kind in the Gulf countries and the Arab world.
- The patronage of His Highness the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the Economic Development Board.
- The Forum will be held at Manama - Bahrain, which is the focal point of several main cities of the GCC countries and includes many financial institutions, large companies and several facilities which will be offered by the bodies concerned with this event.
- The main speakers at the Forum include officials, VIPs from the tourism field as well as experts from the private and public sectors of the Gulf and the world.
- The proposed investment opportunities are executable and the work papers are practical.
- Workshops about investment opportunities in every GCC country.
- The possibility of concluding agreements or direct transactions at the Exhibition.
- Present the Gulf tourism product as a unified organism (various holidays but one destination).
- The urgent need of several Gulf investors to present innovative projects related to participation, financing or management.
- Obtaining a first-hand knowledge of the features and facilities provided by every country.
- Identify the extent of interaction among the financial and expertise centers in terms of financing tourism projects.
- Create a common investment environment for the GCC countries to boost existing cooperation and encourage third parties to invest in the Gulf region.
- Motivate young GCC countries citizens to engage in the tourism sector through training and rehabilitation with the presence of a specialized training sector participating in the Forum.
- Highlight the features of the Gulf tourism sector through the media, tourism products and the proposed opportunities; and create an investment tourism culture for host and investor.
Forum Program:
- The opening ceremony will be held under the auspices of His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Economic Development Board.
- Tuesday 14. 02. 2006, the ceremony will start at 10 a.m. at the Gulf International Convention Center at the Gulf Hotel, Manama. The ceremony will be followed by the opening ceremony of the Exhibition and a brief visit to the stands of the exhibition. Afterwards, the meetings and workshops of the Forum will be held after the midday prayer and will last until Wednesday 15/ 02/ 2006.
- Thursday 16/ 02/ 2006, only the Exhibition’s activities will be held, with special emphasis on the interaction between the exhibitors who are offering joint work opportunities and the public which will be invited on that day…
- Wednesday 15/ 02/ 2006, and as one of the Forum events, a gala dinner will be held in honor of the participants, sponsors and exhibitors. A large number of officials and economic, tourism and social VIPs will take part in this event.
Forum Participation Fees:
The participation fee is of
USD three hundred ($300) per participant (or BD 110).
The subscription can be made by:
The subscription fee covers the following:
- Attending all the sessions and workshops of the Forum.
- Lunch meals for a period of two days during which the Forum will be held; coffee breaks two times per day; a gala dinner.
- A briefcase containing the work papers (proceeding) printed in a special book and available on CD, along with the lunch and dinner vouchers, a pen and an agenda.
- A valuable commemorative gift from the Forum.
- A documentary film about the Forum’s activities (which will be sent after producing).
- A certificate of participation for the bodies and individuals attending the Forum, presented by the organizing committee.
- Publish the names of participants, companies and countries of all attendants on the Forum website.
Special Services provided to Forum and Exhibition Participants:
- Visas to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- Reduced prices at all hotel rooms.
- Meet & assist at the airport; with transportation from airport to hotel and the final transportation from hotel to airport.
- Providing transportation means to participants to carry them daily from the hotels to the conference & exhibition halls and vice versa.
- Special car rental rates with and without a driver.
- Organize bilateral meetings and collective sittings with economic and tourism VIPs and authorities by previously fixing appointments after identifying the desired goals.
- Providing additional equipment and special decoration for the Exhibition stands when needed, at an additional fee.
- Arranging for the freight and clearing company to receive the goods and reship them to the parties concerned who wish to obtain this service.
Means of Payment
- Cheque/ Bank draft made payable to “Gulf Investment & Tourism Forum”
- Bank transfer to: Saudi British Bank, Dammam Main Branch – KSA, A/C No. 044004448002
(It’s very important to attatch a copy of the Bank transfer details with your Registration Form).
- Credit Card, Click Here
