Prince Sultan bin Salman.

The second Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourism ministers’ meeting, which concluded recently in Doha, elected the Kingdom to chair the working group charged with preparing a common vision and strategy for the development and promotion of tourism in member states.

“Besides electing the Kingdom to head the strategic group, the meeting also appointed Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH), to head the team, which in collaboration with all GCC member countries, will prepare a tourism vision within three months for GCC tourism ministers to study, discuss and approve,” an SCTNH spokesman said here Sunday.

Inspired by the European Union to cherish a common goal for all-round development of the region, the GCC wishes is to have a common currency like the euro, common police like Europol, a Schengen-style unified visa and common tourism policy to usher in a new era of development in the region.

Reacting to the election, Prince Sultan said that the Kingdom is honored by the trust bestowed upon it by the GCC countries and asserted that it will work to implement a well-developed tourism vision for GCC countries through persistent cooperation with relevant authorities and all member states in a way that complies with the stature of the GCC countries and their people.

“With the blessings of Allah, GCC countries are enjoying security, stability and economic prosperity amid a troubled world due to the wise leadership in the GCC countries,” he said. “This requires us all to work toward enhancing such stability through raising young people’s awareness about their culture and history as the people of this region share many cultural characteristics and social components.”

During his address at the Doha meeting, he noted that the tourism sector is no longer just entertainment. “It is the economy, development, security, tourism, transport and more which require GCC countries’ viable economic investment with tremendous capacity and coordination among them to achieve economic returns and create job opportunities suitable for their youths,” he said.