BY FAROUK AL-KAMALI
TAIZ BUREAU
Tourism in Yemen is definitely going through crises. The land of the Queen of Sheba, the origin of civilization is today termed as a haven for terrorists and a land of fanatic beliefs. And it has become a member on the black list to which big countries warn their people against going to Yemen.
Inside the country the tourism sector suffers badly, there are not facilities for investment, no enforcement of laws, no tourist services, no festivals and qualified tourist cadre.
In fact Yemen could be the only country which does not have professional tourism guides. Why so?
And what could be done to help the situation?
The first man in tourism, Mr. Abdulmalik Al-Iryani gave an interview to Yemen Times staff and brought hope through the information he provided about the Tourist Establishments Classification Project under establishment now underway.

Q: What is the importance of this classification project and what exactly does it mean?
A: Through this project we aim at classifying or dividing the tourist- related establishments into defined levels. This is a kind of standardization that we opted for recently instead of having more than one gauge or measurement in our definition of the various tourist establishments existing in the country.
Not only this, but the standardized classification would become a legal reference in all our affairs and in solving any disputes that could appear in this field. We have given the existing tourist establishments a deadline before which they have to adjust their being so as to meet the criteria of the most relevant classification to them.

Q: But small motels, and they are many, would suffer from such a system because they are far from standardization and it would be difficult to enforce the new system on them. What about those?
A: The project keeps in mind such establishments and the various levels they could be included at. There are rates from one star to five stars and each rate has certain criteria which the establishment has to comply with. However, for those small businesses, we will give a greater chance to reach the required standard, but this does not mean that we would compromise regarding quality.
This is because quality is an important factor in tourism and can not be ignored. It is important that both the governmental and the private sectors would together to improve the quality of services and to lead this project to success.

Q: Although the tourist-related establishments are going through a down phase in income, they are complaining from the high taxation rate and electricity and water bills. How do you overcome this problem?
A: Yes, the problem you mentioned exists, and as a solution, the government has agreed last year to postpone collection of taxes and fees and it agreed with the ministry of finance to allow these establishments to pay the charges in installments over a relatively long time period. I think this could be credited as a serious step in this direction in order to solve some of the problems in the tourism sector.

Q: Recently we heard many voices demanding to close down night clubs and discos in Aden, to the extent that the case has reached court. Does this conflict with encouragement of investment?
A: This is not an issue of conflicting or non-conflicting interests. It is a case of obeying the laws and regulations of the country. If there are any cases of the kind, then the judiciary system is our source of decree and we have to abide by its verdicts. However, we see tourism as a multi sided concept and thanks to good tourism in Yemen is of the cultural, environmental and historical kind, and most of the tourists now come to Yemen for these purposes.

Q: In your opinion, what does the tourist sector in Yemen need and how can the private sector provide for tourism in Yemen?
A: There are great potentials in the tourist sector in Yemen and it could contribute greatly to the national income. But unfortunately due to lack of implementation and resources the sector could not produce the outcomes that it should.
The private sector has a great role to play. For it is in essence the main investor in tourism and provides most of the tourism services generally. It also contributes greatly in the training and rehabilitation of cadre and workforce in this sector.
In Yemen particularly the private sector is quite active and we find many of the investors in hotel and accommodation establishments come from the private sector. In any case there has to be strong and effective cooperation between the government and the private sector to improve the situation of tourism in the country.

Q: What about the challenges tourism faces in terms of the current unstable situation as in threat of war and acts of terrorism?
A: Tourism in the whole world has been negatively affected by the current developments, and Yemen especially has been affected because of the particular nature of its land and people. We have discussed on more than one occasion about the bad consequences of terrorism on the country and on the tourism sector in particular. But this does not mean to sit hand-folded and curse our luck. We have to work continuously in order to overcome the negative aspects of the situation and invest in the plus points that we have. We have to prepare ourselves for the future and what may come, because we have great natural resources and fantastic potentials that we should not let the current situation destroy.

Q: Then what does the ministry intend to do in this respect and what is the plan for this year?
A: We have laid down a plan that works on many fronts, the legislative and organizational aspects, and proper organizational boards. Also to modify the tourism and environment laws so as to serve tourism and investment. At the same time to publicize for the country externally and internally though campaigns, festivals and fairs internationally. And to publish a number of tourism related publications about Yemen. We will also dedicate a number of locations for tourism and rehabilitate those places so that they reach the desired standards and allow for large investments in them.

BY MOHAMMED AL-MASANI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
The Foundation for the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, a non-governmental group, was established recently by a group of prominent businessmen who are interested in reviving the Yemeni folklore.
The foundation aims at raising cultural awareness about the great heritage Yemen has, as well as organizing with other local and international related organizations and institutions.
The foundation has published a brochure sponsored by the British Council called "Yemen in the Land of the Queen of Sheba," about the Yemeni Civilization exhibition held in a British museum in London recently.
The foundation organized and prepared the visits of high-ranking cultural Yemeni delegation to the Netherlands, Germany and the United Sates, to empower decision-makers in the Yemeni heritage institutions to get acquainted with museums and exchange experiences in the European countries.
From Dec. 22 to 28 the delegation held a special exhibition for Yemeni manuscripts relating to writing and art that coincided with 19th Book Fair in Sana'a. That exhibition is considered unique, and organized along with Culture Ministry.
The foundation has published special Arabic-English catalogues.
And future projects for the foundation include renewing the Al-Qahara and Kalan castles-fort.
The most important thing that foundation has brought attention to is the archeological importance and unique architecture style as well as the tourist locations have, in addition to the historical roles that forts and castle had been received.
The foundation has a number of new projects, including forming its group of founders.
Abdu al-Wahab Thabet is appointed as chairman. The trustee council includes Yahya Abduallh Saleh, Alwan al-Shaibani, Mohammed Abdu Saeed and Hail Abdu al-Haq along with a number of ambassadors of the countries that are interested such as the Dutch, Japanese, German, and Italian ambassadors.

The view from here
by Jamil Abdul Karim
And now, for a change, thanks to some Canadians, some good news.
First, you'll notice on page 15 of this issue of the Yemen Times, the story of Canadian doctors who recently came - for the 12th time - to help teach and bring resources to Yemeni medical professionals.
Among their work this time around has been to talk about the challenges faced by women in Yemen's medical world. Good job. Such open discussion is needed, as Yemen needs to continue to move into a society where women can enjoy the same professional benefits of men.
The Canadian group - from the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada and led by Dr. Martin Robinson - is also spearheading work to build cancer clinics in Sana'a, Aden, and Taiz.
Building all three will be a long term project, but some Yemeni businessmen and politicians are already stepping forward to give resources. In Aden donated land and supplies will help keep costs - with otherwise would run into the millions of dollars.
Over the years, the Canadian team has given untold thousands of dollars worth of equipment, such as high-tech gamma cameras and microscopes, not to mention piles of medical books.
Further, it's worked with Yemen's Ministry of Health to get folic acid into flour used across the country. This prevents brain and spinal diseases in infant children.
It's all commendable. I have lived in Canada and am close to many Canadians. I can attest to the fine humanitarian spirit of people from this country. These doctors feel it's their role to help Yemen improve its standards, just like, over the decades, standards in Canada have improved.
"Yemen is developing its medical care the same as Canada did," said team member Dr. Hugh Allen.
There's more. Under the guidance of another Canadian physician, Dr. Jean Chamberlain - Froese, many people in Yemen have also been helped lately through another project.
Chamberlain is from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but makes Yemen her home for much of the year. And she is largely responsible for tens of thousands of dollars of equipment that has just arrived from a charitable group in Hamilton known as the Sisters of St. Joseph.

The ship is unloaded. The trucks have run. The goods are distributed. Tens of thousands of dollars of health care equipment from the Sisters is in hand.
There's wheelchairs and walkers, operating room lights, examination tables and the list goes on. It helps meet the massive needs in a country like this.
Yemen has traditionally been near the bottom of aid recipients. It receives some $20 per capita in annual overseas aid. Often even that aid from international groups like the UN and World Bank doesn't get where it's needed.
This donation, however, has hit its target. One recipient is a new maternal care clinic here in Sana'a, where Dr. Chamberlain-Froese works. When fully operational, it will handle 4,000 deliveries annually.
The other is a group of care homes, where about 400 disabled people in several facilities across Yemen live.
"We haven't seen so many wheelchairs. And they're all made of good material. Thank you very much. God bless you," said the manager of one of them.
"What we're giving them are tools so they can help other people," notes Chamberlain-Froese, who worked with St. Joe's from this end to make the donation happen. Last spring, she invited Brian Guest, executive director of St. Joseph's Health System, to meet with Yemeni locals to see how the Sisters in Hamilton might help.
"What's important about this is that it's from private, not public money," said Guest, whose organization is a capital purchasing group for 130 hospitals in Canada. Surplus supplies from those hospitals and from manufacturers feeds the foreign aid program, known as International Outreach.
It now ships 50 tonnes of equipment annually. Haiti and Uganda have been key benefactors. In 1999 Port au Prince's university hospital received $250,000 worth of life-saving oxygen equipment, installed at the time by Canadian peacekeepers.
International Outreach also helps train medical professionals in developing countries, linking them with professionals in Hamilton hospitals. It's hoped that will be the next step in the new relationship with Yemen. As a capital, Sana'a in particular is hungry for improved medical training. That could entail methods such as teleconferencing.
In the meantime, Yemeni officials are at least now familiar with St. Joseph's and Hamilton. That's important, because while the aid shipment was heading across the Atlantic, port authorities initially warned Dr. Chamberlain-Froese they might turn the goods back to Canada due to a new law governing foreign donations.
That's when The Yemen Times got involved, helping to ensure there was no misunderstanding. Indeed, the shipment was vital. Now, the ship, proverbial and literal, has arrived.
While life will continue to have its challenges here in Yemen, it's good to know that it's now possible for folks from the other side of the world to help out. From this side, we'll watch the horizon for more.

Freelance journalist Jamil Abdul Karim is a regular contributor to The Yemen Times.
Email jamil@yementimes.com