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Sana’a- Mohammed Assayed

Yemen is a peaceful country with cordial people where tourists are welcomed. It is called Happy Yemen. Thecountry is the cradle of civilization and history. It conceals enchanting tourist treasures.

Happy YemenHappy YemenA strong spring season for tourism

Those looking for natural wonders,heritage and culture will see their dreamscome true. If you have an attraction for thesea, you will discover in Yemen beautifulbeaches, clean with golden sands, andmore than 120 splendid islands. Inaddition there are vast deserts, andmountains on which houses sleep: at nightthey look like suspended stars in the sky.There is also medical and religioustourism and cities designated worldheritage sites. The list of tourist attractionsis long.

Tourist treasuresYemen is a tourist country of goodreputation, because of its rich anddazzling tourism assets. Its attractionsform a beautiful canvas mixing naturalbeauty with the ancient treasures ofhistory and civilization.Happy Yemen assumed a significanthistorical and civilizational role. It was therelay station between the old civilizationsof India, China, Mesopotamia and the NileBasin, and those east Mediterranean andEurope.The assets of cultural tourism areabundant in this country They are thefruits of the work and creativity of man,through various historical periods. Culturaltourism is one of Yemen's most importantforms of tourism. The country has anexceptional heritage: hundreds ofhistorical and archeological sitesdistributed throughout the land. Architecture is one of the most importantelements of cultural tourism. Its original,architectural masterpieces are as old asthe civilization of Yemen, which dates

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

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áÁó≤dG AÉ©æ°UOld Sana’a

General view of Sana’a

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back 4,000 years. The country also hasrich traditions including folklore andunique clothes, customs and habits whichexpress the life of the inhabitants.Yemen also has vast beaches extendingfor more than 2,500 km, and more than120 islands on the Red, Arab and IndianSeas. These beaches and islands havenatural treasures, and different kinds ofbirds, plants, marine life, coral reefs andprecious stones.Yemen is therefore one of the mostdistinguished countries in the world, a placeof interest and great importance, because ofits beautiful natural landscapes. Thesediverse treasures make it a privilegedholiday destination, useful for therapyprovided by the sun’s rays. It is also theplace for water sports, such as swimmingand surfing. Fauna (with more than 1,250varieties of fish) and the flora of its coasts arean attraction for divers, who are coming tothe country in increasing numbers. Those interested in mountain tourism, willfind the Yemeni mountains combine naturaltreasures and the creativity of Yemenis. Atthe top of the mountains, one is astonished

to see houses suspended from the sky.Beautiful villages constitute a splendidpanorama with terraced agriculture in thegreen valleys. At the top of most mountains, arearcheological sites, historic buildings,fortresses and citadels, separated by greenvalleys with cool, refreshing streams.Yemen has recently managed to attract alarge number of tourists, in particular fromthe Arabian Gulf. The nationals of thesecountries come there for medicaltreatment: Yemen has more than 80thermal springs for the treatment ofrheumatisms, skin and nervous diseases,and for rest. Professionals estimate therewill be a notable development in medicaltourism in the near future.Desert tourism is also made possible byvast wilderness in the east and west,historical cities and easily accessible sitesand attractions. Camels are a favorite withforeign tourists eager to follow the desertroutes from Maarib to Hadramaout.

A president in love!Tourism in Yemen has attracted the

attention of the authorities. That is notsurprising because the President, Mr. AliAbdullah Saleh, is a great lover of travel.He walks through old Sana’a, to theastonishment of tourists and enjoys thedelights of the city with them. Deep-seadiving, is one of his favorite sports. Hefrequently refers to tourism in hiseconomic speeches. Yemen's Minister ofTourism, Khalid Al-Rowishan, is adamanthe could not manage without thepresident's proposals for the promotion ofthe tourist sector.

Al-Rowishan – ‘Spring ofTourism’He is known as the "Architect of Sana’a,the capital of Arab culture", the "Restorerof the spirit of Yemeni cultural" and the"Discoverer of the creative subject".Intellectuals and journalists call him the"Spring of Yemeni tourism". It is a namewhich he truly deserves, because he ispassionate about tourism and has greathopes for its future development. He is thefirst Yemeni politician to initiate theprincipal project to restore the original

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

ìÉ«°ùdG ¤EG çóëàj »æª«dG ¢ù«FôdGThe Yemeni President talks to the tourists äƒeô°†MHadramaout

Tourism in Yemen has attracted the attention of the authorities. That is not surprisingbecause the President, Mr. Ali Abdullah Saleh, is a great lover of travel. He walks through old

Sana’a, to the astonishment of tourists and enjoys the delights of the city with them. Deep-sea diving, isone of his favorite sports. He frequently refers to tourism in his economic speeches. Yemen's Minister ofTourism, Khalid Al-Rowishan, is adamant he could not manage without the president's proposals for thepromotion of the tourist sector.

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colors of houses in old Sana’a, bringingback their charm. The Minister for Cultureand Tourism, Mr. Khalid Abdullah Al-Rowishan, directed the department oftourism since May 2003, when it facedmany difficulties exacerbated by theattacks of September 11, which resultedin a loss of an estimated $145m.Al-Rowishan says: "Certainly, Yemenitourism paid a painful price following theevents of September 11 and the waragainst terrorism. We had to react quickly,by adopting an emergency strategy to putan end to the deterioration of the sector,aimed mainly at creating a healthyenvironment, developing more touristfacilities and services such as the issuingof visas at the airport, and other points ofentry, for the nationals of more than 45countries in Europe and the Gulf.We launched promotional campaigns forYemeni tourism in regional andinternational markets. We participated intourism exhibitions and internationalfestivals, such as Milan, Berlin, WTM in theUK, Madrid, and ATM in Dubai, in additionto TopResa in France, and exhibitions inJapan and Russia.We also highlighted the positive aspects

of Yemeni life and the climate of safetyand stability which prevails throughout thecountry, contradicting distorted imagesand erroneous conceptions. We initiated apublic relations campaign abroad, invitingfamous personalities and foreignjournalists from France, Germany, Italyand Spain, to counter the disinformation.The results were amazing, and reflectedpositively on tourist numbers whichreached 273,000 in 2004, an increase of41% on the 2003 figure, which recordedthe arrival of 154,000 visitors; income fromtourism has risen to $214 million in 2004.This figure may be modest when weconsider Yemen's enormous touristpotential and we envisage greatimprovements in future.Mr. Al-Rowishan adds: "The other aspectof our strategy is to exploit 'the securityelement' in our battle, because securityand safety are the keys of success in thetourist industry of any country. Yemen,thanks be to God, enjoys security andstability. The period of kidnapping touristsis over and, it is no longer necessary tohave security men on most tourist routes.Yemeni tourism has now been given a newlease of life and another phase in its

development has started. We are also attempting to attract Arabtourists, in particular from the Gulf, takingadvantage of changes in the internationalclimate. Arab tourists are no longer eagerto go to Europe or America, for fear ofbeing accused of terrorism, because ofthe events of September 11. Thecampaign to promote Yemen in Arabmarkets is already bearing fruit: the surgeof Arab tourists from the Gulf reached alevel exceeding our forecasts. Theyaccounted for 60% of visitors to Yemen.

Yemenia Airlines,another successYemenia Airlines were one of the significantfactors in the revival of tourism in the country.Islamic Tourism met Captain Abdul-KhaleqAl-Kadi, Chairman of the airlines who affirmedthat his company had taken the initiative tosponsor the tourist industry since the 70's. Hehad a dream for Yemen to become a peacefultourist destination of international fame. Andthis dream is coming true.Captain Abdul-Khaleq Al-Kadi, known forhis competence and dynamism, stressesthat his company has an annual strategyaimed at the development of internationaland local tourism in Yemen. His strategy isto regularly participate in internationaltourism exhibitions and Arab tourismfestivals and activities. Yemenia currentlyfocuses on new tourist markets and thedevelopment of Pan-Arab tourism anddistributes booklets in English, French,German, Spanish and Italian.Captain Al-Kadi adds that one of theobjectives of the development of tourism inYemen is to invite journalists andbusinessmen and acquaint them with HappyYemen, as well as the investmentopportunities in the tourist sector. We willdevelop tourist programs at promotionalprices. The company highlights deep-seadiving in the Red Sea and the Arab Sea. It isalso advertising in the most prominent Araband international periodicals and prepares acomprehensive book on tourism programs inYemen at competitive prices.Like a phoenix, Yemen’s tourist industryhas risen from the ashes and is growingfrom strength to strength.

Islamic Tourism – Issue 20 – November-December / 2005 For more information, visit our website www.islamictourism.com

¢Uƒ¨dG áMÉ«°S ¢SQÉÁ ídÉ°U ¬∏dG óÑY »∏Y ¢ù«FôdGThe Yemeni President is a keen diver