Tourism is a significant generator of foreign exchange, growth, and employment in OIC Countries. In 2019 they welcomed 259 million international tourists and generated 216 billion dollars of tourism receipts according to the latest SESRIC report on international tourism in OIC countries. As a result of the outbreak of the pandemic, the tourism sector has been heavily affected and tourism receipts have dropped to 78 billion dollars which corresponds to 70 million international tourist arrivals in 2020 due to restrictions and lockdowns imposed by the crisis.

In order to reduce the negative effects of the pandemic on their economies, OIC Countries implemented various strategies and policies aiming at reinforcing the resiliency of the tourism sector. In this context, the 11th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers was organized last June in Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan) to discuss the opportunities and challenges related to the sector and examine the ways and means to contribute to the recovery of the tourism sector in OIC countries.

In this regard, ICDT is planning to organize the 3rd Edition of the Islamic Tourism Fair in the second half of 2023, keeping in mind that the 1st Edition of this fair was organized in Istanbul, Republic of Turkïye in 2005 and the 2nd in the State of Kuwait in 2019.

The present Concept Note aims at providing the member countries with all the necessary information relating to the organization of this fair.

The organization of the OIC Tourism Fair by the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) is part of the implementation of the relevant resolutions of the OIC Summit Conferences, the Councils of Tourism Ministers, and the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

All these resolutions highlight the importance of the tourism sector in the economic strategies of the OIC Countries. In this vein, it is of great interest for the Member States to participate in this Fair and contribute to the promotion of this vital sector for their economies.

The first edition of the Islamic Tourism Fair was held from 24thto 26th November 2005, in Istanbul – Republic of Turkïye. It was a great success thanks to the participation rate of the Member States and the number of participating companies that reached 350 companies, operating in the tourism area.

Besides, the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the State of Kuwait and ICDT in collaboration with « Kuwait International Fair Company » organized an Exceptional Edition of the Tourism, Handicrafts, and Interior Decoration Fair from 18th to 23rd December 2019.

The objective of this event which attracted the participation of more than 120 companies, is to strengthen cooperation among the OIC Member States in the tourism, handicrafts and decoration sectors, to promote historical monuments and tourist sites of Member States and to encourage investments in this sector. Furthermore, the fair provided a platform for the handicraft sector players in OIC countries to seek business opportunities and establish partnerships among themselves.

The Fair aims at strengthening cooperation among OIC countries in the tourism sector, promoting historical monuments and tourist sites of Member States, and encouraging investment in this sector. Besides, it constitutes an opportunity to exhibit the touristic offers as well as the reception infrastructures, thereby promoting the touristic destinations of each OIC country. Moreover, the fair contributes to depicting the authentic image of Islam, as a religion of peace and tolerance.

The products to be exhibited are commercial services related to tourism, hotels, transport in all its forms, travel agencies, equipment for hotels, and all kinds of activities relating to tourism.

The Tourism Fair will be open to the participation of all OIC Member States represented by their institutions operating in the field of tourism promotion as well as the various private and public stakeholders in the tourism sector (travel agencies, transport companies, hotels, vacation resorts, real estate companies, tourism service providers and craftsmen). Furthermore, this event is open to the participation of the countries with an observer status within the OIC, the tourist operators belonging to the Muslim minorities in the non-member countries of the OIC, as well as the international tourism companies, through their subsidiaries established in the Member States.

The organizers will provide the participants with a set of incentives in the form of customs and non-customs facilitations for the admission of persons and goods, transport, freight, transit and customs clearance. Additionally, they will provide exhibition spaces that meet international standards and the necessary conditions to ensure the success of the fair.

As far as ICDT is concerned, the Centre will assist the hosting country in the marketing and promotion of the fair among the OIC countries. It will also organize sideline events and mobilize international experts for the organization of the aforesaid activities.

The organization of this edition was decided upon by the 11th Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers held last June in Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan), requesting the Member States to submit to the OIC and ICDT their candidatures for the organization of the 3rd Edition of the Fair during the 2nd semester of 2023. The hosting country will be nominated during the COMCEC Ministerial meeting to be held in November in Istanbul.

An MOU will be signed between ICDT and the hosting country to define the modalities of organization of the fair and provide more details on the contribution of each party.

The 3rd Islamic Tourism Fair of the OIC Member States planned during the 2nd semester 2023 is in line with ICDT’s Program for the development of a sustained and competitive Tourism Sector in OIC countries (TOURDEV). The Fair aims at strengthening cooperation among OIC countries in the tourism sector, promoting historical monuments and tourist sites of Member States, and encouraging investment in this sector. Besides, it constitutes an opportunity to exhibit the touristic offers as well as the reception infrastructures, thereby promoting the touristic destinations of each OIC country. Moreover, the fair contributes to depicting the authentic image of Islam, as a religion of peace and tolerance.

3rd ISLAMIC TOURISM FAIR

In accordance with the resolutions adopted by the 48th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC Member States, held on 22-23 March 2022 in Islamabad – Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Islamic Centre for Development of Trade (ICDT) and Nextfairs Ltd are organizing under the auspices of “Qatar Tourism” the 3rd Islamic Tourism Fair, from 20 to 22 November 2023 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center, in conjunction with “Qatar International Exhibition & Tourism (Qatar Travel Mart)” (QTM 2023).

The Fair aims to enhance cooperation among OIC countries in the tourism sector, promote historical monuments and tourist sites of member states and encourage investment in this sector.

Details relating to this fair are available on the following link: www.qtmqatar.com  www.qtmqatar.com