Jazeera Airways hosted the first Kuwait Tourism Forum 2026, bringing together key tourism stakeholders, industry leaders, government representatives, hospitality partners, and aviation experts to spotlight Kuwait’s tourism potential and explore opportunities to strengthen inbound tourism and support the country’s Vision 2035 ambitions.
As part of the event, Jazeera Airways and
the Kuwait Hotel Owners Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed
at strengthening collaboration between the aviation and hospitality sectors to
support tourism development initiatives in Kuwait.
Attended by Dr Nasser Muhaisen,
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information, and supported by the Crowne
Plaza Al Thuraya City Hotel, the forum marked a significant step in fostering
dialogue and collaboration across the tourism ecosystem under the theme of
unlocking Kuwait’s tourism potential and positioning the country more strongly
on the regional and global tourism map.
The event featured keynote addresses and
presentations from leaders across aviation, tourism, hospitality, and economic
research sectors, including Sleiman Algharib from Visit Kuwait, Mohamed Anis
Najia, from the Kuwait Hotel Owners Association and Dominique Exmann from
Oxford Economics.
Discussions focused on Kuwait’s tourism
opportunity, the importance of connectivity and infrastructure, demand
stimulation, hospitality readiness, and the role aviation can play in driving
economic diversification and visitor growth.
Barathan Pasupathi, Chief Executive
Officer of Jazeera Airways, said: “Kuwait has immense untapped tourism
potential.
Strategically located at the heart of the
region, with strong connectivity, a rich cultural identity, growing hospitality
infrastructure, and access to a catchment of billions of people within a few
hours’ flying time, the opportunity ahead is significant.
This forum is about bringing stakeholders
together to not only start meaningful conversations and align priorities but
also collectively shape the future of tourism in Kuwait.”
Naser Alobaid, Chief Executive Government
Affairs at Jazeera Airways, highlighted the importance of public and private
sector collaboration in enabling tourism growth and building a stronger inbound
visitor economy that contributes to national development goals.
Paul Carroll, Chief Commercial Officer at
Jazeera Airways highlighted "The Big Opportunity and How Airlines Can
Support It", addressing connectivity and airline networks contributing to
tourism growth.
The forum also featured a panel discussion
titled “Kuwait Tourism Potential and Unlocking It”, moderated by Sarah AlBaker
of KTV2, to discuss the opportunities, challenges, and practical steps required
to stimulate inbound tourism and enhance Kuwait’s attractiveness as a
destination. -TradeArabia News Service