Arab Tourism Technical Committee Holds Twelfth Meeting in Cairo

The Kingdom was represented at the meeting by Senior Advisor to the Ministry's Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Gharib - SPA
The Kingdom was represented at the meeting by Senior Advisor to the Ministry's Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Gharib - SPA
TT

Arab Tourism Technical Committee Holds Twelfth Meeting in Cairo

The Kingdom was represented at the meeting by Senior Advisor to the Ministry's Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Gharib - SPA
The Kingdom was represented at the meeting by Senior Advisor to the Ministry's Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Gharib - SPA

The twelfth two-day meeting of the Arab Tourism Technical Committee was held at the Arab League headquarters.

Representatives from tourism ministries in Arab countries participated in the conference to prepare the draft agenda for the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism and its Executive Office, scheduled for December, SPA reported.
The Kingdom was represented at the meeting by Senior Advisor to the Ministry's Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Gharib.
The committee's draft agenda includes several items, such as a study prepared by the Secretariat General on climate change and its impact on the Arab tourism sector, joint tourism initiatives among Arab countries, enhancing inter-Arab cooperation in tourism, and the topics of tourism innovation and smart tourism.



Still No Snow on Japan’s Mount Fuji, Breaking Record

Mount Fuji is seen from Enoshima island, in Fujisawa, south of Tokyo, Japan, August 11, 2021. Picture taken August 11, 2021. (Reuters)
Mount Fuji is seen from Enoshima island, in Fujisawa, south of Tokyo, Japan, August 11, 2021. Picture taken August 11, 2021. (Reuters)
TT

Still No Snow on Japan’s Mount Fuji, Breaking Record

Mount Fuji is seen from Enoshima island, in Fujisawa, south of Tokyo, Japan, August 11, 2021. Picture taken August 11, 2021. (Reuters)
Mount Fuji is seen from Enoshima island, in Fujisawa, south of Tokyo, Japan, August 11, 2021. Picture taken August 11, 2021. (Reuters)

Japan's Mount Fuji remained snow-less as of Monday -- the latest date that its majestic slopes have been bare since records began 130 years ago, the weather agency said.

The volcano's snowcap begins forming on October 2 on average, and last year snow was first detected there on October 5.

But because of warm weather, this year no snowfall has yet been observed on Japan's highest mountain, said Yutaka Katsuta, a forecaster at Kofu Local Meteorological Office.

That marks the latest date since comparative data became available in 1894, he said beating the previous record of October 26 -- seen twice, in 1955 and then in 2016.

"Temperatures were high this summer, and these high temperatures continued into September, deterring cold air" which brings snow, Katsuta told AFP.

He agreed that climate change may have a degree of impact on the delay in the snowcap's formation.

Japan's summer this year was the joint hottest on record -- equaling the level seen in 2023 -- as extreme heatwaves fueled by climate change engulfed many parts of the globe.

Mount Fuji is covered in snow for most of the year, but during the July-September hiking season, more than 220,000 visitors trudge up its steep, rocky slopes.

Many climb through the night to see the sunrise from the 3,776-meter (12,388-foot) summit.

Fewer climbers tackled Mount Fuji this year however after Japanese authorities introduced an entry fee and a daily cap on numbers to fight overtourism.

The symmetrical mountain has been immortalized in countless artworks, including Hokusai's "Great Wave".

It last erupted around 300 years ago.