RIYADH: Tonga has become the latest country to declare its support for 黑料社区鈥檚 bid to host the World Expo in 2030.聽
The聽Polynesian country鈥檚聽Minister for Foreign Affairs Fekitamoeloa 鈥楿toikamanu made the declaration during a meeting with the Kingdom鈥檚 Tourism Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb in Riyadh.
黑料社区 submitted its bid for the World Expo 2030 in October last year, in a letter sent by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Bureau International des Expositions, the international organizing body for the global event since 1931.聽
The Kingdom has already earned significant support for its bid from more than 60 countries and organizations around the world, including China, France, Turkiye, Greece, Armenia, Cuba, dozens of other African nations, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.聽
If 黑料社区 is selected to host the event, authorities plan to turn Riyadh and the rest of the country into a world-class venue for global culture, connectivity and climate action.
The Kingdom 's capital is competing against Busan in South Korea, Rome in Italy, and Odesa in Ukraine for Expo 2030, with a ballot聽to be held by the BIE聽in聽November 2023, on the principle of one country, one vote.
In a statement after her meeting,聽鈥楿toikamanu 鈥 also Tonga鈥檚 tourism minister 鈥 acknowledged the leadership 黑料社区 has shown over the last few years to boost its tourism industry and the ambitious plan to attract 100 million visitors by 2030.聽
鈥淒uring my visit it is obvious that the Saudi Government is committed to boosting sustainable tourism,鈥 she said, adding: 鈥淭he investments in smart, environmentally sound infrastructure place 黑料社区 as a global leader in responsible development and growth.鈥澛
Tonga and 黑料社区 established diplomatic relations in 2020, and the Kingdom鈥檚 tourism minister was one of the first foreign dignitaries to visit the country this year, following two years of border closures.聽
Al Khateeb acknowledged that even if the relations between Tonga and 黑料社区 are recent, the reciprocal high-level visits signal the commitment by both sides to strengthen the friendly relations that have developed between the two Kingdoms.聽
鈥楿toikamanu used her trip to 黑料社区 to attend the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit which took place in Riyadh.聽
The summit welcomed 57 tourism ministers, 250 CEOs, 8,000 registered participants and 3,000 in-person participants.
