Ashraf Abo Arafe
The Sultanate of Oman topped the list of the Arab Tourism Media Awards at its eleventh session by winning 7 awards in various fields. The Arab Center for Tourism Information announced the winners on the sidelines of its participation in the Berlin Tourism Fair (ITB) in Germany.
The Sultanate’s list of awards included:
Best Radio Show for Arab Tourist Program by Amal Bin Taleb, Republic of FM Radio.
Golden Pen Award for Excellence in Journalism in the Field of Tourism Mohammed Al-Saifi, Head of Economics, Omani News Agency.
Award for best investigative journalist, journalist Mona Al-Kharousia of Al-Watan newspaper about the investigation (about the monuments in Rustaq).
Award of the best tourist news dialogue on the topic of (Priorities of development according to plans) for the journalist Hamoud Al-Mehrazi, Head of Economics section of Oman newspaper.
Best Tourist News Article (West House History Story) for the student student receptionist of Roaayah newspaper.
The Joduba website specialized in tourism, headed by Raad bin Khalifa Al-Abri, won the award of the best Arabic website in the category of social Media Awards. Rotana Salalah has won the award of Best Arab Hotel for the Arab Family.
Dr. Lamia Mahmoud, Chairman of Sawat Al Arab Network and Chairman of the Jury, said that the Arab Tourism Information Awards have become an example to honor creators in the field of tourism and heritage media, pointing out that more than three million voters participated in the selection of winners through electronic voting to choose their candidate from among 178 personalities competed among themselves to represent 15 Arab countries to win the Arab Tourism Media Awards, which is the most important in the Middle East.
For his part, Dr. Sultan Al Yahiai, President of the Arab Center for Tourism Information, said that the Center is always keen to highlight the efforts exerted in this sector according to scientific standards. He pointed out that the Sultanate witnessed last year the events of the Oscar Tourism Media under the patronage of Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Rawas, the advisor of Sultan for cultural affairs amidst a joyous ceremony that was well received by everyone.
Al Yahiai said, “We are proud of this honorable list of Omani winners who were able to register an honorable presence of the Sultanate with their wide and glorious participation in various fields, which reflects the level of interest of the Omani media in the tourism sector which is presented by the media in and promotion of the tourism sector locally and globally, and we look forward to this win as a catalyst for further media tender in the tourism sector, as well as payment of wide participation of the Sultanate in tourist media competitions on the Arab and international level in the future.
Amal Bint Talib, the presenter of Youth FM, the winner of the best radio award for an Arab tourism program, said: “We are very happy with this achievement, in which we have been keen on the Arab competition to highlight the name of Oman among many participating Arab countries, this list of Oscar Arab Tourist Media Awards 2019. Thank God today with this winning result gives us an incentive to continue giving media more in the next stage.
Al Juharyah fouced the tourism role to be parallel to the growth witnessed by this sector as well as to the economic importance of this sector in most national plans and strategies.
The ceremony was attended by a number of officials, including former Egyptian Minister of Tourism Dr. Hisham Zaazou, Dr. Sultan Al Yahiai, Head of the Center, Dr. Taleb Rifai, former Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization; Dr. Said Al Batouti of the World Tourism Organization; , And Lebanese Minister of Tourism Ouadis Kidianian.
