- Qatar to host the 13th session of Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM) in 2026
- ICTM aims to foster collaboration among member states in the tourism sector.
- Qatar’s tourism achievements: Over 4 million visitors in 2023, plans to double visitor numbers by 2030.
- Strategic Roadmap for the Development of Islamic Tourism: organizing annual events, visa facilitation, investment promotion.
- Collaboration with international organizations to develop a revised strategy for sustainable cultural tourism.
- Emphasis on digitalization to promote and market destinations.
Qatar, represented by Qatar Tourism, has been endorsed as the host country for the 13th session of the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM) in 2026.
This announcement was made during the 12th session of the ICTM, held in Khiva, Uzbekistan. The theme of the conference was “Development of the Tourism Industry in a Sustainable and Resilient Way.”
The event encouraged member states and institutions of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to participate in the upcoming session in Qatar actively
Goals and Vision of ICTM
The ICTM aims to foster collaboration among member states in the tourism sector. It focuses on developing unified strategies for implementing tourism infrastructure projects.
By working together, the member states can enhance their tourism industries, ultimately contributing to economic growth and cultural preservation.
Highlights from the 12th Session in Khiva
During the opening session, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov, emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between member states. He highlighted the potential for significant development in the tourism sector through collaborative efforts.
Secretary-General of the OIC, Hussein Ibrahim Taha, also spoke at the conference. He underscored the transformative potential of tourism, describing it as a catalyst for economic growth. Tourism, he noted, enhances cultural heritage and creates entrepreneurship opportunities, which can help alleviate poverty by providing job opportunities.
Fatima Al Sada from Qatar Tourism highlighted the joint developments between Qatar and Uzbekistan in tourism. She outlined an organized work plan aimed at boosting cooperation between the two countries.
Qatar’s Tourism Achievements and Future Aspirations
In her speech, Fatima Al Sada noted that Qatar has made significant strides in achieving its tourism goals. In 2023, Qatar saw an influx of over 4 million visitors.
During the last four months of 2023 alone, the country received more than 2 million visitors, twice the number from 2022. These numbers underscore Qatar’s ambitious plans to double its visitor numbers by 2030.
Al Sada also discussed the recent launch of direct flights between Doha and Tashkent by Qatar Airways.
These flights are expected to strengthen bilateral cooperation and provide more travel options, further consolidating relations between Qatar and Uzbekistan.
Qatar’s Strategic Goals
Al Sada, in her remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), emphasized Qatar Tourism’s goal of establishing a special executive program for cooperation with Uzbekistan.
This program is based on a memorandum of understanding between the two countries and aims to implement agreed-upon items. She also noted Qatar’s selection as vice president of the coordination office for the Arab group in the tourism field.
Awards and Recognitions
After the conference, three cities were honoured with the Tourism City Award of the OIC. Dakar, Senegal, was selected as the OIC City of Tourism for 2025, Cairo for 2026, and Lahore for 2027.
The conference also recognized the elaborate plans by OIC institutions for celebrating Khiva as the OIC City of Tourism for 2024.
Strategic Roadmap for Islamic Tourism
The 12th ICTM urged all OIC member states and relevant institutions to implement the Strategic Roadmap for the Development of Islamic Tourism.
This roadmap includes organizing annual events to promote intra-OIC tourist flows through visa facilitation, investment promotion, branding, standardization, and capacity building.
Collaboration with International Organizations
The conference invited the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) to collaborate with the OIC and other international organizations, such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This collaboration aims to develop a revised strategy for sustainable cultural tourism in the Islamic world.
Emphasis on Digitalization
The Khiva conference called on OIC member states to invest in digitalization to promote and market their destinations.
Enhancing the digital experience for international visitors is seen as crucial for speeding up recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic and attracting more tourists.
The endorsement of Qatar as the host for the 13th ICTM session in 2026 marks a significant milestone in its tourism journey.
With its strategic goals, ambitious plans, and recent achievements, Qatar is poised to play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable and resilient tourism among OIC member states.
The collaboration and efforts put forth during the 12th session in Khiva set a strong foundation for future developments in the tourism sector across the Islamic world.
