Supported by Google.org and powered by SPARK, Maharat benefited more than 14,000 registered users across nine countries in the MENA and GCC region, with more than 17,500 courses enrolled through the Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub.

Between 2024 and 2026, Maharat for Tourism provided accessible digital learning in Arabic and English for young people, tourism professionals, policymakers and MSME owners. The E-Learning Hub offered four specialised courses covering Government Tourism Policies and Strategies, Managing Your Tourism SME, Experiential Tour Operations, and Events Management and Planning. The courses combined tourism knowledge with practical skills in areas such as digital tools, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and sustainable and green tourism. The programme reached a diverse group of learners, from university students preparing to enter the labour market, to entrepreneurs developing tourism products, policymakers shaping the sector, and tour guides creating more immersive experiences for visitors.

From learning to action

The impact of Maharat for Tourism is evident in the stories of those who took part. In Egypt, tour guide Rahma Ahmed used the programme to strengthen her knowledge of experiential tourism and explore ways to connect visitors more closely with Egyptian heritage and local communities. For Rahma, experiential tourism means going beyond simply visiting historical sites and allowing visitors to experience local life. She says the programme helped her develop new tourism skills and better understand how to strengthen her career in the sector.

In the United Arab Emirates, entrepreneur Mitha Al Shamsi explored how tourism and entrepreneurship can come together to create sustainable opportunities. Through Maharat for Tourism, she developed skills in project planning, marketing and customer engagement. Mitha hopes to use these skills to develop tourism experiences that allow visitors to experience Emirati traditions, crafts, cuisine and everyday life while supporting local heritage.

In Saudi Arabia, Fahad Ammar joined the programme with a strong interest in contributing to the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector. Maharat for Tourism helped him deepen his understanding of visitor experience and the role of tourism in supporting Saudi Arabia’s future. For Fahad, the programme provided practical knowledge that he can use as Saudi Arabia continues to develop its tourism sector and welcome visitors from around the world.

In Jordan, Maharat for Tourism also helped learners turn knowledge into practical skills. Mohammad joined the programme to strengthen his communication and teamwork skills while gaining practical knowledge about sustainable tourism and creating meaningful visitor experiences. He later applied what he learned through volunteering activities, including promoting tourism sites and raising awareness of protecting cultural heritage and the environment. Lilian Atef Mohammad Al-Azamat, who studied tourism and archaeology, joined the programme to strengthen her experience and readiness for the labour market. Through the training, she developed a deeper understanding of the tourism sector, strengthened her professional skills and gained greater confidence in pursuing future opportunities, even as her current career path lies outside her field of study. 

Reaching people through local partnerships

Maharat for Tourism combined a regional digital learning platform with local partnerships and outreach. SPARK worked with EYouth in Egypt, Haya Cultural Centre in Jordan and WildlyNess in Tunisia, to connect the E-Learning Hub with learners and tourism stakeholders in their countries and beyond through targeted multi-channel outreach campaigns, including conducting awareness sessions in universities, youth centres, and vocational schools, cross-dissemination through partner networks, and implementing digital marketing campaigns. 

Across its three-year implementation period, the programme reached more than 13 million people through online and offline outreach, engaging government and public-sector institutions, universities, training centres, youth centres, travel agencies, hotels and other tourism stakeholders. These efforts helped bring attention to the changing skills needs of the tourism sector and the growing importance of digitalisation, AI, sustainable tourism, entrepreneurship and innovative tourism experiences.

The learning continues

While the programme is coming to an end, Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub will remain open until the end of 2026, giving learners additional time to access its courses and continue developing their tourism-related skills. The journey of Maharat for Tourism may be closing, but the knowledge, skills and ideas developed through the programme will continue through the people who took part and through the businesses, experiences and communities they contribute to across the region.

Explore the Maharat for Tourism E-Learning Hub and continue learning until the end of 2026.