55 government ministers, 250 tourism CEOs and 60 ambassadors meet at WTTC summit
3-day annual summit attracts nearly 3000 delegates from 140 countries
Sustainability, communities, technology & unlocking potential dominate debate
Rwanda capital Kigali to host next WTTC Global Summit in 2023
The leaders of the global travel and tourism industry left the Saudi capital of Riyadh and the biggest ever World Travel & Tourism Council Summit last night with a renewed sense of optimism, shared future goals and a stronger commitment to collaborative cross-border strategies to drive a successful future for the sector.
The three-day summit attracted decision makers from every corner of the world as host nation Saudi Arabia hosted 55 Government Ministers, 250 travel and tourism CEOs and 60 ambassadors who were among nearly 3000 delegates from 140 countries. It is the largest gathering of tourism leaders and professionals that the Summit has ever hosted. More than 250 media delegates from around the world attended the event.
The Riyadh Summit had twice the number of delegates as the last major pre-Covid Summit in Seville and nearly three times as many countries represented with 140 compared to over 50 in Seville in 2019. Rwandan capital of Kigali, was announced as the host city for 2023, marking the first time the event will visit Africa. Rwanda, the home of the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, will showcase the power of sustainable tourism to protect biodiversity and create thriving communities.
Closing the Summit, Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said, “This event has been the perfect example of collaboration, of great conversations that have led to meaningful action. I hope you have all experienced the real meaning of Saudi hospitality. In the Kingdom we call hospitality Hafawah. We understand that hospitality has the power to unlock authentic experiences that set us apart.”
Thanking the host nation, Julia Simpson, President and CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council said, “The passion, the people, the hospitality we have had has been incredible here in Saudi Arabia. This sector is growing – and it’s going to grow here. From the Red Sea to snow-capped mountains, Saudi is full of surprises.
“We are incredibly excited that Rwanda will host our next Global Summit in 2023. An amazing country famous for its conservation work, Rwanda is building its reputation as a must-see destination.”
Among the many themes of the Summit was the positive impact sustainable strategies can have on generating jobs, prosperity and the sustained development of communities that are vital for a vibrant future for travel and tourism.
Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports International said: “We are facing a new reality with the urgent need to embed sustainability practices into everything we do. The end product that we should all be striving to achieve is the delight of the customer, usually achieved by ensuring the interface with our products is as brief as possible.”
The importance of the environment in urban areas was also discussed with Mitsuaki Hoshino, Vice Commissioner, Japan Tourism Authority explaining: “When we design the cities of the future we look to the inspiration of nature; it continues to teach us so much that informs our urban planning.”
Carolyn Turnbull, Managing Director, Tourism Western Australia commented: “Collectively we can all agree that our experience here in Riyadh has been extraordinary; to hear of the vision that exists here is remarkable.”
From a host nation perspective, Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority said. “The domestic impact and the WTTC committing to $10.5bn is definitely a clear win-win for both Saudi and these businesses that are looking for growth opportunities across the world”
Jerry Inzerillo, President & Chief Executive Officer, Diriyah Gate Development Authority concluded: “Of all the world’s greatest cities, the one thing they have in common is that they’re celebratory. They may not share the same languages, cultures, or traditions but they celebrate diversity, identity, and a shared sense of humanity. That’s something Riyadh does exceptionally well and that’s something Diriyah will do, too”
The Summit saw a series of MOUs and agreements signed during the Summit and the announcement of new awards. One of those was the new Hafawa, or Hospitality awards that were announced by Saudi Arabia Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb. He also signed formal MOUs with Djibouti Spain Costa Rica and Bahamas to further strengthen Saudi Arabia’s growing international partnerships and collaboration.
The Bicester Collection also launched its “Unlock Her Future Prize” at the Summit with the inaugural edition taking place in the MENA region in 2023 to reward and empower women social impact entrepreneurs. Each of the three winners will receive a business grant of up to US$100,000.
The Summit has had a global impact with over 7 million livestreams of the keynote speeches, panel discussions and presentations and has been the most influential gathering of tourism leaders and decision makers in the world this year.
The global tourism body’s Global Summit saw speakers such as former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and actor, filmmaker, and Golden Globe winner, Edward Norton.
During the event, WTTC and the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia launched the Environmental & Social Research (ESR).
This groundbreaking new data details the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector, and in a world-first, this the research covers 185 countries across all regions, and will be updated each year with the latest figures.
WTTC also launched its Cities Economic Impact Report (EIR).
Sponsored by Visa, the report shows cities remain the powerhouses of global tourism and will drive the recovery of the sector and economies around the word.
Under the theme “Travel for a Better Future” the event in Riyadh focused on the value of the sector, not only to the global economy, but to the planet and communities around the world.