The Future Set for the Next Era of Tourism At the Opening of the Inaugural TOURISM SUMMIT

Tuesday 11 November 2025 13.03
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Tuesday 11 November 2025 13.04

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With a bold ambition to rewrite the rules of travel, the inaugural TOURISM SUMMIT under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister was officially opened today by HE Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISM.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:

TOURISE ushers in a new era of global tourism, bringing together ministers, delegates and visionaries from around the world as a premier platform dedicated to shaping the future of global tourism.

Held November 11-13, 2025, immediately following the 50th UN Tourism General Assembly, TOURISE is reimagining the way sectors interact to find opportunities where competitors become partners where investment is optimized and where fragmented silos converge. The event aims to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions and catalyze transformative initiatives that will shape the global tourism sector in the next 50 years.

In his opening speech today, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb emphasized that now is the most urgent and opportune time for the convergence of sectors to shape global tourism, with the tourism sector having recovered to its highest levels in history, with the number of international arrivals and investment surpassing pre-pandemic levels. However, he cautioned that at the same time, the sector is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities: rapid technological disruption, a generational shift towards sustainable and experience-based travel, and the imperative to build resilience in the face of economic and environmental uncertainty and increasing fragmentation around the world.

His Excellency recognizes that TOURISM has reached this inflection point, when the world is hungry for new models, new partnerships and new solutions.

“TOURISM is more than just an event, it is a platform for action where we will come together to solve all the challenges that have long limited tourism’s potential. Among them are challenges in skills, investment, infrastructure, sustainability and digital transformation. This is a space where we will work together to deliver the best outcomes for everyone: profits for investors; more accessible destinations and affordable experiences for tourists; jobs and prosperity for communities as demand for travel increases. We are not just here to discuss ideas. We are here to act. That’s why TOURISM exists.”

Over three days, TOURISE will host a number of key panels and talks featuring global leaders from various sectors. Leading global speakers include:

• Ariane Gorin, CEO, Expedia

• Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Founder, onepoint5

• Gloria Guevara, Interim CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council

• Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, incoming UN Tourism Secretary General

• Luis Maroto, CEO, Amadeus

• Francis Suarez, Mayor, Miami

• Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports

• Lucia Penrod, Co-Founder & Owner, Nikki Beach

• Sébastien Bazin, CEO, Accor

• Eduardo Santander, CEO, European Travel Commission (ETC)

• Harvey Goldsmith CBE, Founder, Nvisible Productions

• Thomas Woldbye, CEO, Heathrow Airport

• Steve Hafner, Co-Founder & CEO, Kayak.com

Speakers showcase how TOURISM brings together leaders from sectors rarely seen together, creating counterintuitive and boundary-breaking collaborations. This convergence is not just new; they are the engines for new business models, enhanced traveler experiences, sustainable destination development and investment strategies that can only emerge from a unique multi-sector platform.

The summit will address the big questions redefining the future of travel, from AI-powered experiences and barrier-free borders, to destination design, investment, and competition for future travelers, and turn them into action through ministerial dialogue, boardroom dialogue, keynote speeches, and innovation showcases.

The winners of the first TOURISE Awards will also be announced tonight, recognizing places that demonstrate destination excellence and meet the evolving expectations of modern travellers.

Backed by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, TOURISE is more than just a three-day summit, it is an always-on global platform. Most importantly, the conversations started in Riyadh will continue throughout the year through cross-sector collaboration and partnerships, turning bold ideas into real-world solutions.

About TOURISM

TOURISE is the world’s premier platform that shapes new horizons for global tourism.

Supported by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, the inaugural TOURISE Summit will take place November 11-13, 2025 in Riyadh. TOURISE will bring together visionaries from government, business, investment, tourism and technology to deliver high-impact initiatives and transformative deals that will reset the industry and build a tourism sector that is sustainable, equitable and future-focused.

Physically exclusive and digitally inclusive, TOURISE will ensure broad global participation while providing targeted access to the visionaries shaping the future of global tourism. Following this summit, TOURISE will evolve into a year-round platform where bold ideas become real-world solutions.

This is where tourism for the next 50 years is shaped. Together, we are unstoppable.

For more information about TOURISE, visit www.TOURISE.com

View source version on businesswire.com:

Contact

For further information contact: media@TOURISE.com

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISM, opened the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh.

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISM, opened the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh.