To attain the goal of rendering Sana’a a tourist & cultural capital Tourist promotional studies, private sector involvement, wanted [Archives:2003/663/Business & Economy]

The capital mayoralty, the local council and the ministry of culture bear the responsibility for preparing the program of 'Sana'a, Capital for Culture'. What we would like to see in 2004 is that the programs should be full of tourist promotion and the official parties have to present studies if economic feasibility on investment projects to be promoted for as part of the next year activities.
From the economic viewpoint the attention paid to the capital has to be steered to the protection of civil cultural heritage and the work for marketing it according to studied programs.
What draws the attention is that the capital mayoralty has concentrated on the formalities of the matter and till now the concerned parties did not draw up the necessary tourist programs and did not engage the private sector in the campaign and the preparation for Sana'a a capital of culture and tourism in 2004.
The concerned bodies have the capability of carrying out tourist promotion campaigns before the date of the cultural capital in order to attract the largest possible number of Arab and foreign tourists who are supposed to visit the tourist- cultural accomplishment and take part in the promotion for it in future.
The tourist is not very much concerned about and interested in electric arches or trees planted on the sidewalks here and there in a random way. He is not much interested in the main streets being empty of peddlers or the begging children. These scenes are part of a culture and habits showing tourists that the people are living in a developing country where job opportunities are little but these people do possess vital and rare folklore heritage.
The first thing to be taken care of is the planning for protecting the civil cultural heritage in old Sana'a not the modern quarters. Those are areas having no meaning in the economic value of the heritage. The tourist is interested in seeing the various stages of the history blended with artistic expressionist scenes and folkloric handicrafts. We are in fact approaching the event of Sana'a as a capital of Arab culture but still we do not know about what the promoters for investment tourist opportunities have in mind, not only in old Sana'a but also in all the cities rich with civilized heritage, in order to marketing them via the visitors from the Arab and foreigners. The essential question here is why the concerned sides do focus regarding preparation for Sana'a, capital of culture, on taking care of outwardly matters to an extent harming the interests of the people in general, whereas they are supposed to pay attention to the economic and tourist feasibility of this cultural demonstration characterized by tourist promotion.
Opportunities for marketing Yemeni tourist matters by having interest in civilized cultural heritage and handicraft and working for increasing their production which represents something deserving support and encouragement and expansion in holding exhibitions displaying them inside old Sana'a. These are considered of economic value securing life for thousands of families producing them.
It is hoped that the local council and the capital mayoralty would set aside part of their revenues for supporting handicraft and adoption of projects to qualify the unemployed in the area of developing handicraft and revival of folkloric works such as smoothing junbias and silversmith works, in addition to inscriptions and adornment and manufacturing onyx and historical statues and tourist landmarks.
The mayoralty and the local council have to devote their efforts on whatever makes Sana'a capital for tourist promotion in 2004. They should help the poor for gaining job opportunities that would develop their income and engage hem in the protection of the cultural and civilization heritage of old Sana'a as it is considered a capital for culture and tourist promotion.
Finally we confirm the importance of engaging the local private sector in working out for campaigns of tourist promotion and to allow it presenting its perception as well as activation of its potentials so that Sana'a becomes in 204 the capital of tourism and culture and this in consequence would double the gross product of the tourist sector revenues.
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