The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) will organise its Global Summit in Saudi Arabia later this year.
The 22nd Global Summit will take place from November 28-December 1 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh.
Held under the theme of “Travel for a Better Future”, it will include the participation of some of the world’s largest travel and tourism businesses, Saudi officials, and tourism ministers from around the globe.
WTTC recently declared the list of speakers who will be present at the event. Those taking to the stage include Arnold Donald, vice chair of the Board of Carnival Corporation and WTTC Chair; Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International; Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai International Airports; Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton; Matthew Upchurch, president and CEO, Virtuoso; and Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, among others.
Government speakers at the event include Rita Marques, Secretary of State for Tourism Portugal; Isaac Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Bahamas; Lisa Cummins, Minister of Tourism and International Transport Barbados; Fatima Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism Bahrain; Susanne Kraus-Winkler, State Secretary for Tourism Austria; Mitsuaki Hoshino, vice commissioner Japan Tourism Agency, and Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism Turkey, among others.
Saudi officials who will address the summit include Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Minister of Energy; Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, and Princess Haifa Al Saud, Vice Minister of Tourism.
Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said: “The government of Saudi Arabia has been instrumental in the recovery of the global travel and tourism sector following two years of crisis, and we are delighted to be taking our Global Summit to the kingdom this year. Set to become a major tourist destination, our latest research shows that Saudi Arabia’s travel and tourism sector will surpass pre-pandemic levels next year and will see the fastest growth across the Middle East over the next decade.”
Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia Minister of Tourism, added: “WTTC will arrive in Riyadh as tourism enters a new era of recovery. Bringing together global leaders from both the public and private sector, the summit will be fundamental in building the better, brighter future the sector deserves.”
