Tag Archives: TOURISE

TOURISE Destination Initiative (TDI) brings together global leaders from government, international organizations, academia, and the private sector, to transform destinations into living laboratories for tourism innovation. Guided by its Declaration of Principles, TDI champions safety, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and community-centered development through responsible technology and multi-sector collaboration. TDI’s first project, “AI for Tourism Safety,” aims to promote the responsible deployment of AI in TDI member destinations. The project builds on insights from Surveillance or Safety? How Cities are Rewriting Tourism, a white paper by the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR). Authored by Mauricio Rodas—Visiting Scholar at Penn IUR and former Mayor of Quito—the paper explores the ethical and operational challenges of AI in urban tourism and was launched alongside TDI. “As destinations, we carry the responsibility of protecting what makes us unique, our people, our heritage, and our future,” said His Royal Highness Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of Aseer Province and Co-Chair of the TOURISE Destination Initiative. “Through TDI, we are creating a shared space for cities to lead; by embracing innovation rooted in ethics and empathy, we ensure that tourism becomes a force for safety, dignity, and sustainable development.” TDI is co-chaired by Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of Aseer Province, and Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice, and founding members include: • Patricia de Lille, Minister of Tourism, Republic of South Africa • Mateo Julián Estrella Durán, Minister of Tourism, Republic of Ecuador • Mateo Julian Estrella Duran, Ministier of Touirsm, Republic of Maldives • Francis Suarez, Mayor of Miami, United States • Mohamed Sefiani, Mayor of Chefchaouen, Morocco • Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, UN …

The Agentic Tourism Initiative was unveiled at the inaugural TOURISE Summit, introducing the world’s first Agentic Protocol for Tourism, a universal digital framework set to transform every stage of the traveler’s journey. Launched in partnership with TOURISE and Globant, the Initiative builds on the momentum of the acclaimed whitepaper Tourism’s AI Takeover: Reinventing Travel through Agentic Tourism to create a landmark application of AI. It directly answers the whitepaper’s call to create an Open Protocol for Tourism AI, defining how AI agents interact from inspiration to return. The result: intelligent, seamless, and sustainable travel experiences across the global tourism ecosystem. The Initiative brings together a diverse coalition of founding members across technology, infrastructure, aviation, and destination leadership, including: Globant, Red Sea Global, HUMAIN, Riyadh Air, King Salman International Airport, World Travel & Tourism Council, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Hollibob, and Trip.com. This collaborative approach ensures the Agentic Protocol is technically robust, inclusive, and adaptable to the evolving needs of travelers, operators, and destinations worldwide. “We are proud to see the Agentic Tourism Initiative take flight from the Kingdom, reflecting our commitment to shaping the future of global travel through innovation and collaboration. This protocol represents a bold step toward harmonizing technology with the human spirit of exploration. By anchoring AI in empathy and cultural intelligence, we are not only enhancing the traveler’s experience, we are empowering destinations to grow sustainably, inclusively, and with purpose,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Guided by the principle “Digitize the expected. Humanize the unexpected,” the Initiative aims to amplify, not replace, human creativity, empathy, and connection. AI will serve as an enabler, empowering the people and places …

Red Sea Global (RSG) announced the launch of the first ever direct flight from Europe to Red Sea International Airport (RSI) conducted by beOnd, the world’s first premium leisure airline. The new route establishes a direct link between Europe and The Red Sea and AMAALA, offering European travellers seamless access to the world’s most exciting new luxury and regenerative tourism destinations. Guests will enjoy beOnd’s signature premium experience and RSI’s world-class design, meticulously shaped by innovation and a deep respect for the natural surroundings. The launch was celebrated with a special signing ceremony at TOURISE Global Tourism Summit in Riyadh, highlighting the collaborative spirit of the strategic partners driving this new era of luxury travel. “The launch of this direct route from Milan marks a defining moment for Red Sea Global and our destinations. It not only strengthens our connection with Europe, but also reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering extraordinary, luxury experiences. Together with our partners at beOnd, we are opening a new gateway to the Saudi Red Sea coast, ushering in the next chapter of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 journey,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global. RSI, operated by daa International, is the gateway to The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations, developed with sustainability at its core. Developed by RSG, the airport and destinations are the cornerstone of the Kingdom’s ambition to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 (updated from an original target of 100M). They are also supporting the Kingdom’s vision to increase tourism’s contribution to GDP, which has already shot from 3% to 7% since the launch of Vision 2030. Tero Taskila, CEO and Chairman of beOnd, stated: “We’re proud to be the first airline …

Bringing the public and private sector together over three days the inaugural future of tourism event titled, TOURISE concluded establishing new benchmarks. The event welcomed 9654 delegates from across the world. At the closing ceremony HE Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of tourism Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced that the inaugural event conducted 1150 meetings with 67 sessions with 130 plus speakers. He further shared that the second will be held in March 2027 after listening to the comments and suggestions. It was one of the most unique events which provided the visitors to experience first hand some of the key projects coming up in the future in Saudi Arabia, some of the hidden gems hitherto unknown. The event brought together over 50 tourism ministers, private investors, and NGOs from around the world. The event aims to create a platform where governments, private businesses, and organisations can collaborate on the future of global tourism. The minister further iterated that the event was the fruit of two years of planning to bring about a new form of event which brings in players which support the tourism ecosystem.

TOURISE, the bold global platform shaping a new horizon for tourism, announced that it has catalyzed investment portfolios totaling USD 113BN at the inaugural Summit in Riyadh. The milestone reflects TOURISE’s mission to unlock high‑value deal flow by convening public and private sector leaders across tourism, technology, investment, and sustainability to set a shared roadmap for the next 50 years of global tourism. The announced portfolio investments span the full breadth of the visitor economy: luxury retail, next‑generation hotel accommodation, large‑scale integrated, experience‑led developments, wellness, destination and lifestyle offerings, talent development, and AI‑powered platforms. Collectively, these commitments set a new standard for what’s possible, and what’s required, to meet future tourism needs and redesign the traveler journey. Just some of the international and local companies who announced their portfolios as part of the USD 113BN include: Melia Hotels, BWH Hotels, GOCO Hospitality, Cenomi, Radisson, Earth Hotels, Delonix & Ocean Link, AlFozan Holding, Al Kathiri Holding, Alothaim, and Knowledge Economic City. By combining hard infrastructure with human capital, and fusing data, design, and hospitality, these investments will unlock new value across the tourism ecosystem, create new job opportunities, and deliver unforgettable, purpose‑driven experiences at scale. Above all, many were Saudi focused, cementing the Kingdom’s international competitiveness and desirability as a leading global travel destination, where culture, innovation, and world‑class service come together, and signal to partners and investors that this is where the next era of tourism growth is be built. Investment ushers in the next chapter of the global tourism economy His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of TOURISE, commented “TOURISE has been the catalyst that brings investors, policymakers, and innovators to the same …

Saudi Arabia hosted the inaugural edition of TOURISE bringing together over 50 tourism ministers, private investors, and NGOs from around the world. The event aims to create a platform where governments, private businesses, and organisations can collaborate on the future of global tourism. Saudi Minister of Tourism HE Ahmed Al Khateeb said the idea for TOURISE came from the need for a venue where regulators and investors can meet, plan, and build together. “The public sector regulates the industry, and the private sector invests and operates. We found no place where both could collaborate effectively and that’s why TOURISE was created,” he said He highlighted that tourism is more than travel, it includes airlines, airports, accommodations, mobility, food and beverage, and technology supporting the sector. “We found a gap,” he said, “a place where the public and private sectors can meet, invest, and innovate together. The conference comes as the tourism industry faces a projected global job gap of 40 million by 2034, with 357 million people currently employed worldwide. Saudi Arabia alone plans over $200 billion in tourism investments over the next five years, developing destinations like Neom, Red Sea, Iddiya, Dera’iya, and Jeddah. Speaking about technology and AI, he emphasised that while AI can digitalise services, human-to-human interactions remain essential. Al Khateeb stressed the sector’s potential for creating jobs for women and youth, particularly in smaller nations, cities, countries and islands. He encouraged private sector leaders to propose solutions for sustainable growth and employment.

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Riyadh is set to host the inaugural edition of the TOURISE Summit (TOURISE 2025), organized by the Ministry of Tourism from November 11 to 13. TOURISE aims to shape the future of global tourism, fostering its growth and sustainability. It brings together leading figures from key sectors that intersect with tourism, such as technology, aviation, entertainment, education, sustainability, and media. Discussions will seek to develop innovative, actionable solutions that enable the tourism industry to address future challenges and thrive over the next five decades. Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISE Ahmed Al-Khateeb expressed his profound gratitude to HRH the Crown Prince for his generous patronage, which, he noted, expands the event’s reach and influence. He emphasized that this patronage reflects HRH the Crown Prince’s unwavering support for the tourism sector as part of Saudi Vision 2030. He noted that “work is progressing on all fronts to empower our vital sector, which continues to demonstrate its readiness and competitiveness day after day.” He underscored that Saudi Arabia ranked first among G20 countries in international tourist arrivals for 2024 and led globally in growth of tourism revenues from inbound visitors. TOURISE 2025 will feature a dynamic agenda of discussions, panels, and interactive experiences built around four key axes: addressing challenges, seizing growth opportunities, stimulating major investments, and shaping future policies. Sessions will also explore the rapid transformations shaping the tourism sector, including artificial intelligence in tourism, bold investment models, innovative travel experiences, and sustainable tourism that balances people and the planet. (Spa)