Saudi Delegation Promotes Sustainable Tourism At UNGA Sustainability Week

At the United Nations General Assembly Sustainability Week in New York City, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), spearheaded the Saudi delegation. The event saw the presence of UNGA President Dennis Francis and UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. Al-Khateeb took the opportunity to outline Saudi Arabia's pivotal role over the last two years in enhancing the travel and tourism sector's global representation.

Al-Khateeb pointed out several key initiatives that have been launched in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, including the Best Tourism Villages award, the Tourism Open Minds initiative, and a team dedicated to reimagining the future of tourism. These efforts have notably led to the inclusion of tourism in the UNGA Sustainability Week's agenda, underlining the Kingdom's influential position in shaping global tourism discourse.

The minister underscored Saudi Arabia's emergence as a leading tourist destination, backed by its leadership under King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. He proudly noted that Saudi Arabia leads in international tourist growth according to the UNWTO’s 2023 rankings and has seen remarkable visitor numbers, surpassing other G20 countries.

With over 27 million international tourists welcomed in 2023, Saudi Arabia is on a clear path to achieving its ambitious goal of hosting more than 70 million international tourists by 2030. Al-Khateeb reaffirmed the Kingdom's dedication to sustainable tourism development, highlighting significant projects like NEOM and the Red Sea project that aim to have a beneficial impact on climate, environment, and local communities.

"The Kingdom has taken significant steps towards launching the Sustainable Tourism Global Center," Al-Khateeb stated, emphasizing its role in promoting climate neutrality, nature protection, and community empowerment within the travel and tourism sector. He also mentioned productive cooperation with Patricia Espinosa, former Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Al-Khateeb highlighted Saudi Arabia's efforts to mitigate environmental impacts within the tourism sector. These initiatives have led to groundbreaking findings on travel and tourism's carbon emissions, which account for approximately 8% of global emissions. Furthermore, by 2030, Saudi Arabia aims to significantly reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by more than 278 million tons annually, protect 30% of its land and marine areas, and plant over 600 million trees.

In his concluding remarks, Al-Khateeb expressed hope for increased global collaboration towards sustainable development in travel and tourism. He emphasized Saudi Arabia's commitment to leading by example in transforming tourism into an industry that supports both environmental conservation and community development.

With inputs from SPA