His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISE, opens the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh.
With the bold ambition to rewrite the rules of travel, the inaugural TOURISE Summit under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister was officially opened today by H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE.
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TOURISE ushers in a new era for global tourism, uniting ministers, delegates, and visionaries from around the world as the premier platform dedicated to shaping the future of global tourism.
Taking place from November 11-13, 2025, immediately following the 50th United Nations Tourism General Assembly, TOURISE is reimagining the way that sectors interact to find opportunities where competitors become partners where investments are optimized and where fragmented silos converge. The event aims to turn bold ideas into real-world solutions and catalyze transformative initiatives that will shape the next 50 years of the global tourism sector.
During his opening speech today, H.E. Ahmed Al Khateeb noted that there has never been a more urgent or opportune moment for convergence of sectors to shape global tourism, with the tourism sector having rebounded to historic highs, with international arrivals and investment surpassing pre-pandemic levels. However, he cautioned that at the same time, the sector faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities: rapid technological disruption, a generational shift toward sustainable and experience-driven travel, and an imperative to build resilience in the face of economic and environmental uncertainty and growing fragmentation around the globe.
His Excellency recognised that TOURISE has arrived at this inflection point, when the world is hungry for new models, new partnerships, and new solutions.
“TOURISE is more than an event, it is a platform for action where we will solve for the challenges all together that have long limited tourism’s full potential among them are challenges in skills, investment, infrastructure, sustainability, and digital transformation. It’s a space where we will work hand in hand to deliver the best outcomes for everyone: returns for investors; more accessible destinations and affordable experiences for travelers; jobs and prosperity for communities as the demand for travel increases. We are not here just to discuss ideas. We are here to act. That is why TOURISE exists.”
Over the course of its three days, TOURISE is set to host a number of key panels and talks featuring global leaders from across sectors. Notable global speakers include:
- Ariane Gorin, CEO, Expedia
- Ambassador Patricia Espinosa, Founder, onepoint5
- Gloria Guevara, Interim CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council
- Shaikha Nasser Al Nowais, Incoming Secretary General of UN Tourism
- Luis Maroto, CEO, Amadeus
- Francis Suarez, Mayor, Miami
- Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports
- Lucia Penrod, Co-Founder & Owner, Nikki Beach
- Sébastien Bazin, CEO, Accor
- Eduardo Santander, CEO, European Travel Commission (ETC)
- Harvey Goldsmith CBE, Founder, Nvisible Productions
- Thomas Woldbye, CEO, Heathrow Airport
- Steve Hafner, Co-Founder & CEO, Kayak.com
The speaker line up showcases how TOURISE unites leaders from sectors rarely seen together, creating counterintuitive, boundary-breaking collaborations. These convergences are not just novel; they are the engine for new business models, improved traveler experiences, sustainable destination development and investment strategies that could only emerge from such a unique, multi-sector platform.
The Summit will cover the big questions redefining travel’s future from AI-powered experiences and frictionless borders to destination design, investment, and the race for tomorrow’s travelers, and transform them into action through high-powered ministerial dialogues, boardroom dialogues, main-stage keynotes and innovation showcases.
The winners of the very first TOURISE Awards will also be announced this evening, recognizing those places that exemplify destination excellence and cater to the evolving expectations of the modern traveler.
Powered by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, TOURISE is more than a three-day summit, it is an always-on, global platform. Crucially, the conversations sparked in Riyadh will continue year-round platform through collaboration and cross-sector partnerships, turning bold ideas into real-world solutions.
