Sunday, June 24, 2007

UAE: Draft law on tourism and archaeology
I found this short item interesting as it looks at the prssures upon heritage caused by an increase in tourists. Marketing for tourism and planning for the preservation of heritage are brought together under one roof.

The Federal National Council has discussed the drafting of a new federal law setting up a National Council for Tourism and Archaeology, said the Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs.

. . .

Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community development, said that archaeology, currently managed by local authorities, should also be brought under a federal umbrella. The FNC members decided to re-evaluate the draft law by a special FNC committee to further develop these new goals. "In a changing world of opportunity, we need effective tools to manage our needs and resources within the tourism sector on a national scale. We have to adopt a holistic approach towards the tourism sector on both the local and international scale."

"The main purpose of the new law is to give a federal umbrella to all aspects of our economy, which currently does not include tourism and archeology," Al Owais added.