The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a diversified group constituting 14 countries in the Middle East while 4 countries in North Africa. The Middle Eastern region also encompasses both the established as well as the emerging destinations located within the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula to rich outbound markets belonging to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). One of the key aspects of MENA is that destinations have common assets with respect to the nature, culture and the tourism.
The Middle East is acclaimed as “The Crossroads of the World,” as it serves as the connecting link between the Asia, Europe and the Africa. The prominent languages spoken in the region of Middle East and the North Africa are English, French, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish and the Berber.
The countries in MENA offer enough space for splendid beach tourism, sports, cruise, shopping besides the health tourism. Far East too holds the immense popularity of being a splendid hot spot for vacay, and it always top the charts of the holiday makers who like to unwind in exotic destinations.
Countries and Attraction Points of Middle East
The tourism prospects in Middle East has undergone a sea change in the recent times. Implementation of relaxing Visa requirements, followed by changes in the political sentiments and subsequently the expansion of transportation connections has become a major churner of tourism in the Middle East. International visitors to Middle East are offered hotel and beach experiences like nowhere else. On any day a trip to Burj Khalifa, or Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the UAE, or Museum of Islamic Art located in Qatar besides the ancient souks in Oman make a headway to a new way of knowing Middle East. Majority of Middle East is represented by countries like Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and many more.
Green Tourism and Discoveries in Middle East
Middle East has often been interpreted as the land of dry deserts by most Western and European travellers. Still there are also a class of travellers who travelled from distant lands to the Middle East in search of exotic spices and ancient relics hidden beneath the warm sands. They received a great welcome in the Bedouins by the nomads.
Very few know that scientists during the times of Middle Ages who lived in the Middle East had made magnificent contributions to science as they created new fields like that of Algebra, Chemistry, Medicine, Trigonometry, Optics, besides Astronomy. The United Arab Emirates is working towards the creation of Masdar City, which would indeed become the first zero-carbon cities. There are going to be completely driverless electric cars apart from creating the university that would work on green technology. Such efforts will provide the necessary base to create clean and green tourism in Middle East in the times.
Three of the World’s Great Wonders Rest in Middle East
Middle East and the tourism activities in this part of the land is manifested in several ways by the ancient civilisations like that of Egyptians, Sumerians, Assyrians, and Babylonians. The excitement to travel to Middle Eastern lands is also enhanced on learning that three of the world’s ancient wonders are found here. Travellers from the different corners of the world find the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria an enlightenment of the imagination.