Can Tourism Be Reimagined? New Saudi-Led Platform Aims to Future-Proof Global Travel

TOURISE, a fresh initiative hailing from Saudi Arabia, seeks to bring together key players in the industry, attract investments, and reimagine the future of tourism.

The tourism sector is recovering rapidly. This year, the industry is projected to contribute almost €11 trillion—or roughly 10 percent of global GDP—to the world’s economic output. By 2035, this figure might soar to around €15 trillion.

But with this growth comes outsized pressures, from climate change and AI disruption to workforce skill gaps and shifting traveller expectations.

Saudi Arabia aims to guide the sector through these difficulties with a new program called TOURISE.

Launched this week by Saudi Arabia’s minister of tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, TOURISE is a year-round global platform and annual summit designed to unite the public and private sectors, from policymakers and sustainability experts to entrepreneurs and investors.

Global tourism stands at a pivotal moment," stated Al-Khateeb. "The choice of direction we make now will shape its destiny.

A worldwide platform headquartered in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia sees itself as a natural hub for this new global effort. Aiming to attract 50 million international visitors by 2030, the kingdom sees its tourism sector growing rapidly. By 2032, three million people in Saudi Arabia, or around 17 per cent of the population, are expected to work in the industry, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

In 2024, the country hit its Vision 2030 goal of 100 million total visits seven years early.

Backed by a high-level advisory board, TOURISE will host its first summit in Riyadh from 11-13 November this year. The invite-only event will focus on themes such as AI-powered tourism, investment and innovation and building a more inclusive and resilient sector.

The organisers mentioned that the platform will carry on throughout the year using digital collaborations, interdisciplinary task forces, and fresh research efforts like whitepapers and indices concentrating on areas such as tourism, environmental sustainability, and worldwide economic issues.

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“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 first-night 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; it's not just a local affair," stated Tourise CEO Jean-Philippe Cossé.

TOURISE can 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.