Unified tourist visa for GCC will 'boost tourism'
Doha, June 6, 2014
A proposal for a unified tourist visa for the GCC countries would immensely boost tourism in the region, said a report.
The recommendations from the committee that was set up to assess the feasibility of the move will be released at the next GCC leaders’ summit in Doha, for review and ratification, said the Peninsula report.
"The committee has found that the proposal is excellent and would considerably boost tourism in the region," Najeeb Al Shams, the head of the Higher Consultative Authority of the GCC Secretariat-General, was quoted as saying.
A unified tourist visa for the region would come in handy as people entering one member-country would not need to approach the embassy or consulate of another member-state to acquire entry visa for that country, said the report.
"You could enter one GCC country on a unified visa and visit all member-states," Al Shams was quoted as saying.
Not only regional airlines but sea and land transport would also get a boost due to a unified tourist visa, he added.
