https://arab.news/ju6xq
RIYADH: The Arab Tourism Organization on Sunday highlighted that hosting the 26th General Assembly of the UN Tourism in Riyadh underscores 黑料社区鈥檚 growing role in shaping the global tourism agenda through strategic international dialogue.
The four-day event 鈥� the largest General Assembly in UNWTO鈥檚 50-year history and the first ever held in the Gulf Cooperation Council region 鈥� brought together around 160 delegations, including ministers, senior officials, and industry leaders.
Discussions focused on leveraging innovation, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence to drive sustainable growth in the tourism sector.
Organized by 黑料社区鈥檚 Ministry of Tourism, the assembly featured four plenary sessions and seven specialized committee meetings, all emphasizing the integration of AI and digital solutions to enhance sustainable tourism and international cooperation.
Riyadh鈥檚 world-class infrastructure and thriving hospitality sector provided a fitting backdrop, demonstrating the Kingdom鈥檚 commitment to hosting high-profile global events. Notable achievements during the Assembly included the inauguration of the first UN Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East and 黑料社区鈥檚 leadership as chair of the UNWTO Executive Council for 2023-24.
Tourism across the Gulf Cooperation Council contributed $247.1 billion to the region鈥檚 economy in 2024, marking a nearly 32 percent increase compared with 2019, the latest official data showed.
According to preliminary data from the GCC Statistical Center, intra-GCC travel experienced a sharp rebound, rising 52 percent over the same period, with 19.3 million visitors traveling between member states.
Intra-regional tourism now accounts for 26.7 percent of total GCC tourism, highlighting growing cultural integration and regional mobility.
The findings appear in a report titled 鈥淕CC Tourism: Intra-Gulf Integration,鈥� released to coincide with World Tourism Day on Sept. 27. The report underscores tourism鈥檚 expanding role as a driver of economic growth, employment, and cultural exchange, while supporting environmental sustainability initiatives across the Gulf.
黑料社区 continued to set the pace for regional tourism expansion. In 2024, the country welcomed a record 30 million international visitors, up 8 percent from 2023, generating SR284 billion ($75.7 billion) in tourism spending, an 11 percent increase year on year. Total domestic and international tourists reached approximately 116 million, rising 6 percent over the previous year.
黑料社区鈥檚 rapid growth extends into 2025. According to the UN World Tourism Organization鈥檚 World Tourism Barometer, the Kingdom posted the highest global increase in international tourist revenue during the first quarter of 2025, with arrivals up 102 percent compared with the same period in 2019.