Saudi minister chairs 121st UN World Tourism Organization meeting in Barcelona

While chairing the 121st session of the UN World Tourism Organization’s Executive Council on Monday and Tuesday, Saudi Arabia’s minister of tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, emphasized the role the sector plays in achieving growth of the global economy, and sustainability that benefits local communities.

During his opening speech, he said that presiding over the meeting was “a historic moment” because “it united world leaders to confront pressing challenges in tourism and to drive tangible progress in all aspects of the global tourism sector.”

He added: “This gathering confirmed our collective vision of the continued prosperity of the international tourism sector, stressing the need for innovative models to sustain the sector, create investment opportunities, and continue strategic partnerships.”

Discussions during the meeting focused on analysis of international tourism trends, implementation of general work programs and regulatory reforms, discussions of financial-growth strategies for the international tourism sector, and the importance of investment in the development of human resources to maintain global competitiveness, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Khateeb held a meeting with representatives of the private tourism sector in Spain to promote opportunities for them in the Kingdom, the facilities available to investors, and plans to enhance air connectivity between Saudi Arabia and Spain, as well as Europe more widely.

The participants in the discussion included senior executives from leading global, European and Spanish hotel chains, as well as operators of tourism businesses in the Kingdom, and organizations interested in expanding their presence in the Kingdom in light of the developments in the tourism sector as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 national development and diversification plan.

Saudi Arabia welcomed more than 40,000 tourists from Spain in 2023, a 6 percent increase compared with 2022. The growth was attributed to the introduction of an e-visa program for visitors from 66 countries, with the aim of increasing the number of people visiting the country to 70 million by 2030.

Also during the UNWTO meeting, Al-Khateeb signed a memorandum of understanding with his Greek counterpart, Olga Kefalogianni, for the development of tourism businesses and investments, and to enhance the professional skills of workers in the sector.

Saudi Arabia is chairing UNWTO’s Executive Council in 2024 after being reelected to do so for a second-successive year.