The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) Ahmad bin Aqil Al-Khatib chaired the Ministerial Summit of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in the world travel market, which was held on 5 October 2019 in the British capital London.
The Chairman pointedout in his speech that the 2020 G20 Riyadh summit will introduce key topics oftourism through many discussions with decision-makers and relevant authoritiesto work to sustain the growth of the tourism sector globally.
The Chairmanaddressed the topic of "The Importance of Tourism Globally," notingthat in light of the growing interdependence witnessed in our world today, thetravel and tourism industry is booming, and growth is evident across the globe.
He also revealedthat the global tourism sector achieved a growth rate of 3.9% last year and thenumber of the employed in the industry reached 319 million globally, notingthat the tourism sector is one of the most important strategic sectors in theKingdom that is developed in line with Vision 2030.
He also added thatwe have ambitious targets and promising plans to invest in the tourism industryand seek to reach 100 million visits annually to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabiaand create 1 million new jobs by 2030.