Saudi Arabia and World Economic Forum Launch ‘Beyond Tourism’ to Redefine Global Travel
Joint initiative unveiled in Riyadh sets agenda for sustainable, inclusive and resilient tourism aligned with Saudi Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have formally launched ‘Beyond Tourism’, a wide-ranging initiative designed to reshape the global travel industry by embedding sustainability, inclusion and resilience into its future.
The announcement took place during the TOURISE summit in Riyadh, signalling the Kingdom’s expanding leadership in driving international cooperation in the sector.
The framework brings together public- and private-sector leaders across real estate, infrastructure, technology, urban planning, culture and conservation to develop a shared agenda that emphasises generating long-term value for communities and ecosystems, not just visitor numbers.
Anchored by ten guiding principles, the initiative focuses on aligning market opportunities with local strengths, empowering regional economies, building future-ready workforces, revitalising natural and cultural heritage, and responsibly leveraging data and technology.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb stated that Saudi Arabia is “proud to lead Beyond Tourism in partnership with the World Economic Forum,” describing the endeavour as evidence that “the solutions we seek for tourism are solutions for humanity itself – solutions that foster understanding, create opportunity and build resilience for generations to come.” WEF President Børge Brende called tourism “both a bridge and a ladder – connecting cultures and lifting communities.”
The initiative is tightly aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which identifies tourism as a major pillar of economic diversification and job creation.
The Kingdom reports it has already welcomed more than 116 million visitors since the launch of Vision 2030 and aspires to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030. Over the next three years, Beyond Tourism will assemble a diverse coalition of stakeholders and pilot demonstration projects in key destinations to test scalable models of next-generation tourism.
With the launch of this initiative, Saudi Arabia positions itself not just as a destination, but as a strategic development partner to the global travel industry, aiming to guide a transition from mass tourism to meaningful value-creation for people, places and the planet.
The announcement took place during the TOURISE summit in Riyadh, signalling the Kingdom’s expanding leadership in driving international cooperation in the sector.
The framework brings together public- and private-sector leaders across real estate, infrastructure, technology, urban planning, culture and conservation to develop a shared agenda that emphasises generating long-term value for communities and ecosystems, not just visitor numbers.
Anchored by ten guiding principles, the initiative focuses on aligning market opportunities with local strengths, empowering regional economies, building future-ready workforces, revitalising natural and cultural heritage, and responsibly leveraging data and technology.
Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb stated that Saudi Arabia is “proud to lead Beyond Tourism in partnership with the World Economic Forum,” describing the endeavour as evidence that “the solutions we seek for tourism are solutions for humanity itself – solutions that foster understanding, create opportunity and build resilience for generations to come.” WEF President Børge Brende called tourism “both a bridge and a ladder – connecting cultures and lifting communities.”
The initiative is tightly aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan, which identifies tourism as a major pillar of economic diversification and job creation.
The Kingdom reports it has already welcomed more than 116 million visitors since the launch of Vision 2030 and aspires to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030. Over the next three years, Beyond Tourism will assemble a diverse coalition of stakeholders and pilot demonstration projects in key destinations to test scalable models of next-generation tourism.
With the launch of this initiative, Saudi Arabia positions itself not just as a destination, but as a strategic development partner to the global travel industry, aiming to guide a transition from mass tourism to meaningful value-creation for people, places and the planet.
