Italians involved in symposium now underway: Soothing therapy for Yemen’s tourism [Archives:2002/51/Business & Economy]

By Yemen Times Staff
As part of efforts to activate the Yemeni tourist sector, tourist authorities want to benefit from using hot-springs in Yemen’s countryside.
Yemen’s tourist sector has sustained financial losses following the events of 11 September in the United States.
But there are a number of volcanic hot-springs flowing from depths of the mountains, and are in several governorates, mainly Ibb, Taiz, Dhamar and the valley of Hadramaut.
The State Authority for Tourist Development has concluded an agreement with officials of geologic surveys and mineral riches on publishing a book and an atlas on hot-springs in Yemen to help tourism.
Finishing such a book and atlas is aimed at providing information on sites of hot-springs and usefulness in curing some diseases from the medical point of view.
In order to develop tourism to the hot-springs, the authorities of tourist development and geological survey have agreed to a joint preparation for the Yemeni-Italian symposium on hot-springs.
The symposium is to be held from Dec. 10 to 21 to explain information about hot-springs in order to supply the tourist sector with new financial resources.
The geological survey authority will present a technical study on the subject. The symposium would be held in Damat area under the motto of ‘’ Hot-Springs in Damat Basin and their Exploitation for Therapeutical Tourism.’’
The geological survey authority would also implement a number of geophysical studies, digging works and drawing up hydrological maps for any hot water basin.
This work is to be done in response to a request by the state authority for tourist development that seeks to expand investment of springs, and make up for the losses of the tourist sector.
Visiting hot-springs for treatment is given much attention by Yemenis who go there for recovery from some diseases, due to the cheapness of the therapy compared to high costs of medicines and medical examinations at government or private hospitals.
In order to protect some hot-springs that have been exposed to random digging, the tourist development authority and the geological survey authority have agreed to solve the problem of squandering hot waters of Damat to re-organise the Damat basin.
Tourist sources expect that therapeutic tourism at hot springs would see an increase in the number of foreign tourists, especially among Gulf tourists. The sources also mention that there is a good turnout by Saudi citizens and that taking care of the hot springs would lead to activation of tourist services.

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