Safe Tourism Promoted in Yemen [Archives:1998/22/Law & Diplomacy]

As part of the activities of the French Language Association (L’association des Etudiants de Langue Francaise – ALEF) at Sanaa University, a seminar on Safe Tourism was held on Thursday, 21 May.
Attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Abdulmalik Masoor and Chaired by Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Saqqaf, the Yemen Times Chief Editor and member of the Consultative Council, the seminar included the presentation of several papers on difficulties and, sometimes, dangers that plague the tourism in Yemen. The most crucial point discussed by the participants was that of kidnapping – rare though it may be but still a serious problem.
The seminar stressed the importance of finding a swift and successful solution to the kidnapping of foreigners in Yemen, as “this problem does not only affect the tourism sector in Yemen, but also the country’s ties with the outside world.”
The participants also expressed the need for a special institute to prepare and train cadres for the tourism sector as well as instituting a media camping, here and abroad, to sell Yemen as an alternative and more attractive tourist destination.
Concluding the discussions by the participants, the Minister of Culture announced that the government is currently preparing a draft law to specify penal measures for the abductors of foreign visitors.
A society to promote tourism was established and headed by the Deputy Minister of Culture, Mr. Motahar Taqi. Membership is open for all.
Susan Basel, Yemen Times
——
[archive-e:22-v:1998-y:1998-d:1998-06-01-p:./1998/iss22/l&d.htm]