Key Highlights
- TOURISE, a worldwide platform that merges tourism, technology, investment, and sustainability, was unveiled by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism on 22 May 2025.
- The initiative is engineered to open new investment corridors and address systemic challenges to the post‑pandemic travel sector.
- Its launch follows Saudi Arabia’s impressive 2024 record of 100 million visitors—well ahead of Vision 2030 goals—bolstering the kingdom’s claim as a future tourism super‑hub.
- The first TOURISE Summit will convene leaders from June to November 2025, with the flagship event scheduled for 11‑13 Nov 2025 in Riyadh.
- Integrated Innovation Zones and a multi‑disciplinary awards program will identify and reward breakthroughs in sustainability, digitisation, and inclusive tourism.
Detailed Insights
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 envisages a diversified economy where tourism accounts for roughly 5 % of GDP. The TOURISE platform is a strategic response that brings together global expertise through an advisory board and thematic working groups focused on artificial intelligence, business innovation, customer experience, and sustainability. The initiative also commits to publishing white‑papers and global indices in partnership with international agencies, providing data‑driven guidance for future policy design.
The platform’s cornerstone is an Innovation Zone—an exhibition space where the latest public and private sector technologies will undergo live demonstrations, fostering collaboration across the supply chain and accelerating commercial adoption. Parallel to this, a robust awards scheme will identify leaders in digital transformation, cultural preservation, workforce development and inclusive tourism, with nominations opening on 2 June and winners announced at the summit’s opening ceremony.
By converging industry stakeholders, digital innovators and policy makers, TOURISE aims to unlock investment, streamline the tourism value chain, and embed sustainability at the heart of global travel strategy.
Key Concepts
- Visitation Target: A predetermined number of tourists expected to arrive within a period, used to gauge destination performance.
- Sustainability Lens: The framework that assesses environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism activities.
- Digital Transformation: Adoption of digital tools—AI, IoT, data analytics—to optimise operations and enhance visitor experience.
- Investment Ecosystem: The network of public and private capital, policy incentives and infrastructure that supports tourism development.
- Industry Collaboration: Joint initiatives and partnerships between government agencies, private firms, academia and civil society to achieve shared tourism objectives.