Sustainable development needs to be the cornerstone of the Travel and Tourism sector, now and into the future, said Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Quality of Life Program Ahmed Al Khateeb during his participation in the fourth annual World Economic Forum Urban Transformation Summit, held in San Francisco, California from 21 to 23 October 2024.
The minister, one of the Summit chairs, gave keynote remarks during the Opening Plenary session. He commented that while tourism growth brings challenges like overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and environmental pressures, keeping sustainability at the heart of the approach to tackling those challenges will set up the sector for the future. He noted, ‘We are seeing exponential growth in the tourism sector, and in parallel, we are seeing a rising demand for sustainable, enriching experiences. This provides us with the chance to reshape tourism while safeguarding the planet and driving positive change that benefits communities as well as ec
onomies, for future generations.’
Al Khateeb went on to say that building a strong global community of industry leaders and experts who can convene at forums such as the WEF Urban Transformation Summit is essential for creating a positive and lasting future for tourism and developing collaborative solutions to seize those growth opportunities responsibly.
‘Tourism and sustainability are key pillars of Saudi Arabia’s Future Saudi Cities Programme and remain a focus for our leaders,’ said Al Khateeb, ‘But we need city leaders, urban planners, and tourism experts from around the world to share best practices at forums like these, to think about the tourism sector and work out how they can support it by creating smart, sustainable, and resilient cities. Stronger public-private partnerships are also essential to transforming tourism into a driver of sustainable development, and we as governments need to incentivize and encourage private partners who prioritize sustainability.’ Minister Al Khateeb also participat
ed in a strategy session titled ‘Shaping the Future of Tourism’ and an executive roundtable discussion titled ‘The Future of Travel and Tourism.’
The 4th edition of the WEF Annual Urban Transformation brought together 250 participants over two and a half days. Discussions focused on sustainable redevelopment, travel and tourism, mobility transformation, innovation ecosystems, nature-positive infrastructure, technology governance, and more.
Source: Saudi Press Agency