TOURISE, a fresh initiative launched from Saudi Arabia, seeks to bring together key players in the industry, attract investments, and reshape the future of tourism.
Tourism is recovering rapidly. This sector is anticipated to contribute approximately €11 trillion—or roughly 10 percent of global GDP—to the world’s economy this year. By 2035, this figure might rise to around €15 trillion.
However, this expansion brings extreme pressures, including those from climate change and AI disruptions, as well as challenges like skills shortages within the workforce and changing traveler expectations.
Saudi Arabia aims to guide the sector through these difficulties with a new program called TOURISE.
This week, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateep, launched TOURISE. It is an all-year international platform coupled with an annual summit aimed at bringing together both public and private sectors, including policymakers, for collaboration.
sustainability
specialists to business owners and financiers.
“At this juncture, global tourism finds itself at a critical point,” stated Al-Khateeb. “The direction we choose will shape its destiny moving forward.”
An international hub situated in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia
views itself as a natural center for this new global initiative. With an aim to draw 50 million international tourists by 2030, the country envisions itself as such.
tourism
The sector is expanding quickly. It is projected that by 2032, about three million individuals in Saudi Arabia, which constitutes approximately 17 percent of the total populace, will be employed in this field, as stated by the World Travel & Tourism Council.
In 2024, the nation achieved its Vision 2030 target of 100 million overall visits seven years ahead of schedule.
Supported by an esteemed advisory council, the inaugural TOURISE summit will take place in Riyadh from November 11th through the 13th. This exclusive gathering will center around topics including AI-driven tourism, investments and innovations, along with developing strategies for growth.
more inclusive
and resilient sector.
According to organisers, the platform will carry on throughout the year using digital cooperation, interdisciplinary task forces, and fresh research efforts such as white papers and indices concentrating on areas like tourism, environmental responsibility, and worldwide economic issues.
“Tourism’s future is ours to shape,” stated Al-Khateeb.
The platform aligns with the introduction of an award initiative that highlights locations thriving in aspects like sustainability and digital transformation.
cultural preservation
The winners will be revealed during the opening ceremony of the summit in November.
TOURISE is led by Al-Khateeb, and its advisory board comprises prominent individuals from Cirque du Soleil, Amadeus, Heathrow Airport, and the World Travel & Tourism Council.
“This is an open call to the globe; this isn’t just a local affair,” stated Tourise CEO Jean-Philippe Cossé.
TOURISE has the potential to provide the international tourism and travel sector with something unprecedented: a unified, forward-thinking platform. This could establish the global tourism direction for the coming decades.
