Riyadh hosted the world travel industry leaders from the public and private sectors through the Tourism Recovery Summit, which was held to discuss common solutions and adopted measures as the sector enters a new stage. More than 60 speakers, including 16 tourism ministers from across the globe addressed the summit in addition to private sector leaders representing various tourism spectra including aviation, hospitality, and cruises. The summit attracted a wide range of audience via its live steaming where the participants exchanged experiences, ideas, and opportunities through discussion panels and bilateral meetings in pursuit of a more sustainable, flexible, and inclusive tourism future The summit participants included: Jamaican Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett; Greek Minister of Tourism Harry Theoharis; Founder and CEO of S4 Capital and Founder of WPP Martin Sorrell; CEO of the National Geographic Society Dr. Jill Tiefenthaler; Founder, Co-President, and CEO of Abercrombie and Kent Geoffrey Kent; Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Willie Walsh; Group CEO and Board Member at Accor Sebastien Bazin; Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO Ernesto Ottone Ramirez; CEO of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula Amr Al-Madani; CEO of NEOM Nazmi Al-Nasr; CEO of the Red Sea Development Project and AMAALA John Pagano, and CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority Jerry Inzerillo. In his opening speech, Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb affirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation frameworks between the public and private sectors as tourism enters this new era, saying: "The real recovery depends on three main principles: sustainability, comprehensiveness, and cooperation." For his part, Secretary-General of the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili announced the launch of the organization's initiative for the best tourist villages in adopting innovative and transformative approaches to serve tourism in rural areas. Pololikashvili also inaugurated the first UNWTO regional office in Riyadh, which will boost efforts in serving the tourism industry in the region. Meanwhile, Princess Haifa bint Mohammed bin Saud, Assistant Minister of Tourism, expressed optimism for a promising future for the tourism industry, noting that meeting people's aspirations to travel is necessary, but at the same time it requires providing an attractive environment for investment that will expand the geographical areas and societal segments that can take advantage of the countless benefits of tourism.
