Saudis want the global tourism sector to learn the lessons of the pandemic, and to change for the better, a brand-new global survey has found. The Future of Tourism Survey explored attitudes to travel and the expectations of consumers in 11 countries around the world. Globally, the survey found that: 44% of respondents called for greater harmonization of health protocols and the use of technology to enable seamless travel. 34% wanted to see greater sustainability at the heart of tourism. 29% wanted to see health and sustainability prioritized over profits for the travel sector. 33% called for greater financial protections for travelers – likely in response to the experience of the pandemic. People from China, India, and South Korea were most in favor of greater harmonization of safety protocols and use of technology to make travel simpler. They survey also found that Saudis, who are in the midst of creating a new tourism industry that plans to contribute 10% to GDP and provide 1 million new jobs, were most supportive of putting health and sustainability before profit. Conducted by YouGov and commissioned by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, almost 14,000 people were polled, across China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and Sweden. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia said: “The pandemic has a profound impact on the global tourism sector. It has shown us all – travelers, tourists, businesses and governments, that we can do things differently. “The Future of Tourism Survey shows that the public want us to learn the lessons of the pandemic and to make changes that put health, sustainability, …
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