Inyuvesi yaseHong Kong Polytechnic inikeze uDkt. Taleb Rifai, unobhala jikelele we-United Nations World Tourism OrganisationUNWTO), ngoFebhuwari 9 ebonga iqhaza lakhe elibalulekile ekuthuthukiseni imboni yezokuvakasha emhlabeni.
Ngokushesha ngemva komcimbi wokugcotshwa, uDkt. Rifai wabelane ngemibono yakhe nabasebenzi bemboni, izifundiswa, nabafundi basePolyU enkulumweni yeningi enesihloko esithi “Imboni Yezokuvakasha Yomhlaba: Izinselele Zamanje Namathemba.”
USolwazi Kaye Chon, ongusihlalo ongusolwazi kanye nomqondisi weSikole Sokuphathwa Kwamahhotela Nezokuvakasha (SHTM) uthe: “Yize umhlaba wonke uthintekile ngenxa yokuwohloka komnotho ngandlela thize futhi manje usubheke ukubuyela emuva, thina ngiyajabula ukuba noDkt. Rifai ukwabelana nathi ngemibono yakhe ngemboni yezokuvakasha yomhlaba wonke. Njengenhloko yenhlangano yezokuvakasha emhlabeni wonke futhi esikhundleni sakhe esisha njengosolwazi wethu, isikole nabafundi baso babheke ngabomvu ukuzuza ekwazisweni kukaDkt. Rifai nolwazi oluningi lwemboni mayelana nokuphathwa kwezokuvakasha.”
Esifundweni, uDkt. Rifai wakhuluma ngonyaka wezi-2009 owawunezinselelo ezimangalisayo. Wathi, “Inkinga yezomnotho yomhlaba eyabhebhethekiswa ukungaqiniseki mayelana nobhubhane lwe-A (H1N1) yaguqula u-2009 waba ngomunye weminyaka enzima kakhulu emkhakheni wezokuvakasha. Nokho, imiphumela yezinyanga zamuva iphakamisa ukuthi ukululama kuyaqhubeka futhi kusenesikhathi futhi ngesivinini esinamandla kunalokho obekulindelwe ekuqaleni.”
Ngokumelene nesizinda sakho kokubili ukunyuka kwezibalo zezokuvakasha zamazwe ngamazwe kanye nezinkomba zezomnotho eziphelele ezinyangeni ezisanda kwedlula, UNWTO ibikezela ukukhula kwezivakashi zamazwe ngamazwe ezifikayo phakathi kwamaphesenti ama-3 na-4 ngo-2010. I-International Monetary Fund (IMF) isanda kusho ukuthi ukusimama komhlaba wonke kwenzeka “ngokuphawulekayo” ngokushesha kunalokho obekulindelwe. "Ngenxa yalokhu, u-2010 uzoba unyaka wenguquko ohlinzeka ngamathuba aphezulu ngaphandle kokuqeda izingozi eziphansi," kusho uDkt. Rifai.
Nakuba ukululama kubonakala kuhamba ngendlela, uDkt. Rifai uxwayise ngokuthi u-2010 usazoba unyaka onzima. “Amazwe amaningi ashesha ukusabela kule nkinga futhi asebenzisa izindlela zokunciphisa umthelela wayo futhi akhuthaze ukululama. Yize silindele ukukhula kuzobuya ngo-2010, ukuhoxiswa kwalezi zinyathelo ngaphambi kwesikhathi kanye nesilingo sokukhokhisa intela eyengeziwe kungase kubeke engcupheni ijubane lokunyuka kwezomnotho kwezokuvakasha,” kuphawula yena. Ngempela uDkt. Rifai ucele abaholi bomhlaba ukuthi babambe umoya, owahlanganisa umphakathi womhlaba ekubhekaneni nalezi zinselelo futhi bathathe ithuba lokusungula ikusasa elisimeme ngempela.
UDkt. Taleb Rifai ungene esikhundleni sokuba unobhala jikelele we UNWTO ngo-Okthoba 2009. Wayenguprofesa wezokwakha, ukuhlela, kanye nokuklama kwedolobha eNyuvesi yaseJordani kusukela ngo-1973 kuya ku-1993. Kusukela ngo-1993 kuya ku-1995, wahola i-Economic Mission yokuqala yase-Jordan eya e-US, ekhuthaza ukuhweba, ukutshalwa kwezimali, nobudlelwano bezomnotho. Esikhundleni sakhe njengomqondisi jikelele we-Investment Promotion Corporation e-Jordan kusukela ngo-1995 kuya ku-1997, uDkt. Njengesikhulu esiphezulu se-Jordan Cement Company, waqondisa iphrojekthi enkulu yokuqala yokwenziwa kwangasese kanye nokuhlela kabusha ngo-1999.
UDkt. Rifai usebenze njengosihlalo we UNWTO Isigungu esiphezulu kusukela ngo-2002 kuya ku-2003 ngesikhathi engungqongqoshe wezokuvakasha. Kusukela ngo-2003 kuya ku-2006, wayengumsizi womqondisi-jikelele kanye nomqondisi wesifunda wama-Arab States we-International Labor Organization. UDkt Rifai uqokwe njengesekela likanobhala jikelele we UNWTO ngo-2006. Uthathe isikhundla sokuba unobhala jikelele ngo-Okthoba 2009 futhi uzobamba kuze kube sekupheleni kuka-2013.
I-SHTM ikleliswe endaweni yesibili emhlabeni phakathi kwezikole zamahhotela nezokuvakasha ngokusekelwe ocwaningweni nasekufundeni, ngokocwaningo olwanyatheliswa kuyi-Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research ngoNovemba 2009. Lesi sikole sinobudlelwane obudala ne UNWTO, isikhungo esikhethekile seZizwe Ezihlangene kanye nenhlangano yamazwe ngamazwe ehamba phambili emkhakheni wezokuvakasha. Kusukela ngo-1999, isikole siqokwe ngu UNWTO njengesinye sezikhungo zayo zokuqeqesha emhlabeni wonke kuNethiwekhi Yezemfundo Nokuqeqesha. Isikole siphinde sisebenze UNWTOIKomidi Eliqondisayo loMkhandlu wezeMfundo.
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