Shaikha Al Nowais, China Envoy Discuss Tourism Partnerships

Photo: WAM

Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, who will soon become the Secretary-General of UN Tourism for the 2026 to 2029 term, met with Zhang Yiming, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the UAE. Their meeting took place in Abu Dhabi, where they spoke about many important topics that will shape the future of tourism between the UAE, China, and the world.

A Meeting for Stronger Tourism Ties

This meeting was held to advance collaboration in the tourism sector. Both leaders wanted to explore opportunities to create partnerships that will foster cultural and tourism initiatives. These initiatives are important because they support knowledge exchange between countries and boost economic development in tourism and other related sectors such as hospitality, arts, crafts, and rural tourism businesses.

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Shaikha Al Nowais said she is committed to working with global partners, especially China, to develop strategic projects that focus on sustainable and cultural tourism. She believes that working with China is important because China’s tourism industry is growing fast. Millions of Chinese people travel to different parts of the world every year, and millions of people from other countries also visit China to experience its rich history, culture, food, and traditions.

China’s Role in Global Tourism

Shaikha Al Nowais also said that China plays a big role in tourism and cultural exchange. She noted that China’s tourism industry is not just about travel. It is also about connecting people, sharing knowledge, and creating economic growth in many countries that work with China. She praised China for its efforts to promote tourism and build strong partnerships in this field.

She said, “We value China’s continuing efforts to drive tourism and promote partnerships in this field. We look forward to expanding collaboration in the areas of education, training, and tourism innovation through launching training programmes globally to elevate the preparedness of the tourism workforce, enrich cultural tourism experiences, and support rural community development through sustainable tourism.”

Focus on Education and Training

One of the main topics they discussed was education and training in tourism. Shaikha Al Nowais explained that education is very important to make tourism better for everyone. She wants to launch training programmes globally so that people working in tourism can improve their skills. For example, tourist guides, hotel staff, airport staff, and travel planners can learn better ways to serve visitors from different countries and cultures. This will help to elevate the preparedness of the tourism workforce.

Enriching Cultural Tourism Experiences

They also talked about cultural tourism. Cultural tourism means visiting places to experience their culture, traditions, food, dance, music, art, and history. Shaikha Al Nowais wants to create programmes that will enrich cultural tourism experiences for tourists. She believes that when people visit other countries and learn about their culture, it builds friendships between countries and creates peace and understanding among people.

Supporting Rural Community Development

Another important topic in the meeting was rural tourism. Rural areas are villages or places far from cities. Many rural areas have beautiful landscapes, farms, crafts, traditional houses, and cultural heritage. Shaikha Al Nowais wants to support rural community development through tourism. When tourists visit rural areas, they buy local food, handmade products, and art, which helps people in villages earn more money and live better lives. It also helps to protect local culture and traditions.

Empowering Local Communities

During their meeting, both sides discussed several priority areas of mutual interest. One such area was empowering local communities. They believe that tourism should help local people, give them jobs, and improve their quality of life. For example, when a new tourism project starts in a village or small town, it can create jobs in hotels, restaurants, handicraft shops, and travel agencies. Local people can also become tourist guides and storytellers, sharing their culture with visitors.

Leveraging China’s Expertise

Shaikha Al Nowais and Ambassador Zhang Yiming explored opportunities to leverage China’s expertise and resources. China has a lot of experience in developing tourism infrastructure such as fast trains, theme parks, cultural museums, and eco-tourism projects. The UAE and UN Tourism can learn from China’s successful projects to build similar attractions in other parts of the world.

Improving Tourism Mobility

They also discussed ways to enhance tourism mobility across countries and regions. Tourism mobility means how easily people can travel from one country to another or from one city to another. It involves improving visas, transportation, border facilities, and safety measures. They talked about bilateral and multilateral collaboration to make travel smoother for tourists. Bilateral means between two countries, and multilateral means among many countries working together.

Aligning with UN Global Tourism Frameworks

The leaders emphasised that these initiatives should be aligned with the United Nations’ global tourism frameworks. These frameworks are international guidelines that promote safe, secure, sustainable, and inclusive tourism for all. They focus on protecting nature, preserving culture, empowering women and youth, and ensuring that tourism benefits everyone equally.

Tourism as a Bridge Between People and Cultures

Both Shaikha Al Nowais and Zhang Yiming affirmed the importance of aligning international efforts to strengthen tourism’s role as a bridge between people and cultures. They believe tourism connects people from different backgrounds, builds friendships, and reduces misunderstandings and conflicts. It also helps people learn new languages and appreciate different ways of life.

Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Development

They discussed tourism’s role as a catalyst for sustainable development and youth empowerment. Catalyst means something that speeds up positive change. They believe that tourism can bring income to countries, create jobs for young people, and help protect the environment if it is done in a sustainable way.

Need for Renewed Policies

Finally, they talked about the need for renewed policies that embrace diversity, foster innovation, and ensure the sustainable use of resources. Policies are rules or plans made by governments and organisations. Shaikha Al Nowais and Zhang Yiming agreed that new policies should encourage innovation, such as digital tourism apps, eco-friendly hotels, virtual reality tours, and other ideas that make tourism better for everyone.

Building a Brighter Future for Global Tourism

In conclusion, the meeting between Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais and Ambassador Zhang Yiming was very important for the future of global tourism. It showed that leaders are ready to work together to create new opportunities, build strong partnerships, empower local communities, support cultural tourism, and promote sustainable development. Their vision will not only benefit the UAE and China but also many countries around the world, creating a future where tourism connects people, protects cultures, and builds a peaceful and prosperous world for all.