The Ministry of Tourism launched Tuesday the "Tourism Pioneers" program, which aims to develop the capabilities of 100,000 young Saudi men and women and provide them with key skills in the field of hospitality, tourism and travel to prepare them to work in the booming tourism sector in the Kingdom. The Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb launched the program on the sidelines of the 116th session of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in Jeddah, where the "Tourism Pioneers" program will contribute to providing extensive global expertise in the field to the future Saudi leaders of the tourism sector in the Kingdom. The Minister of Tourism said, "We must invest in our youth today and create skilled and ambitious workforce to support the tourism sector at the regional and global levels, as this plays a major role in achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030. This program demonstrates our commitment to empowering young people by providing them with the necessary skills and support. And provide them with opportunities to pave the way for the future of the tourism sector." He stressed that this program and others are directed towards achieving the goals of the National Tourism Strategy and the Kingdom's Vision 2030, including creating one million new jobs by 2030, noting that highly specialized programs will contribute to providing beneficiaries with the skills and qualifications necessary to enter the labor market with confidence. The Ministry of Tourism has selected the highest-rated institutes and educational institutions in the world based on their academic capabilities in the field of tourism and training, such as the Les Roches Marbella, Spain, Global Hospitality Education; SHMS Swiss Hotel Management School; Glion Institute of Higher Education; Cesar Ritz Colleges; Montreal Institute; ESSEC Business School; Ecole Hoteliere in Lausanne; European School of Economics (ESE); NSW Technical and Further Education, and Business and Hotel Management School (BHMS), Switzerland. Selected applicants to join the program will benefit from comprehensive training courses that will enable them to secure employment opportunities in the leading hospitality companies in the Kingdom. To qualify for the program, the applicant must be a Saudi national, speak English fluently, and be interested in working in the tourism sector and register on the ministry's website.
