Hiiraan Online
Monday December 11, 2017
Minister of Information Abdirahman O. Osman sits with Talib Rufai, the Secretary General of UNWTO during the 2nd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism & Culture begins today in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali government said it plans to revive its tourism industry which shattered decades ago following the collapse of civil authority in 1991.
The country's information, Culture and tourism minister, Abdirahman Omar Yariisow is attending UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism & Culture in Muscat, the Sultanate of Oman.
The conference which will run on 11th and 12th December 2017 will be exploring ways to build and strengthen partnerships between the Tourism and Culture sectors and enhancing their role in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Yariisow who held talks with the Secretary General of World Tourism Organization, Talib Rufai on Monday pointed out that tourism in Somalia is intrinsically linked to peace and security.
“Somalia is strategically located in the Horn of Africa and its people are born natural hospitable. Somalis are resilient and entrepreneurs which are all assets that can quickly revive the tourism industry in the country. There are over 150 travel agencies in Somalia as well as a number of locally owned airliners that attract a number of travellers each day as the country is getting peace and stability. International flights and regional carriers flights regularly travel to Somalia such as Turkish Airline, Fly Dubai, Al-Arabia, Air Djibouti and Ethiopian Airline are all international airliners that go to Somalia.
He concluded that Somalia was attending the conferences to learn from other countries on how to best revive Somalia's tourism sector.
“Somalia has a number attractive tourism places throughout the country and the weather of Somalia is perfect for tourists throughout the year. We are here to share our plans and strategies to revive tourism in Somalia as well as learning from other countries on how they overcome the challenges that we face in Somalia.”
Since the collapse of Somalia's central government and breakout of the civil war in the 1990s, the tourism industry which was once a main source of revenue for Somalia.
Following the defeat of Al-Shabaab militants by Somali forces and AMISOM troops, the Horn of Africa nation records a glimmer of hope for recovery.
Despite losing key strongholds to allied forces, Al-Shabaab militants remain a potent threat.
The group which still controls large swathes of rural areas in the south and central Somalia carries out guerrilla attacks against the government with alarming consistency.