World Tourism Day (WTD) 2023, under the title of “Tourism and Green Investments,” is preparing to take on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 27th and 28th. The highly anticipated event will involve global cooperation in exploring investment prospects to strengthen the tourism industry’s resilience and propel it into a future centered on sustainability and investment.
WTD 2023 will include top-tier tourism leaders who will engage in keynote addresses and panel discussions revolving around the three fundamental UNWTO themes: people, planet, and prosperity. The event will act as a forum for participants to delve into the major potential of tourism. It will spotlight tourism’s role in helping cross-cultural connections, preserving our environment, and pursuing a more interconnected global community.
The day of the event focuses on the UNWTO theme of ‘Tourism and Green Investments.’ Panels will examine different subjects, including the role of tourism in building bridges, investment in human capital, unlocking the potential of less-explored tourism destinations, the challenges and solutions for a sustainable future, and highlighting the importance of innovation gap and entrepreneurship. The first day will include a dinner at Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, to celebrate WTD2023.
Day two consists of a ‘’Tourism for People, Prosperity, and Intercultural Dialogue’ theme. It encompasses sessions dedicated to the public and private sectors. The public sector session will look at the industry’s sustainable future, while the private sector session will delve into different travel experiences. Notably, the event will include a session for the handover of WTD 2024 from Saudi Arabia to Georgia, setting the stage for Georgia’s hosting of the event next year.
The event has an impressive lineup of speakers, including Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and Saudi Deputy Tourism Minister Princess Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud. These speakers, along with other additional global figures, signify the industry’s commitment to celebrating achievements and devising solutions to key challenges
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recognizes tourism as an influential force for progress. On World Tourism Day, he emphasizes the critical need for green investments to construct a tourism sector that benefits both people and the planet. World Tourism Day 2023 is sure to shape the concept of tourism towards a more sustainable and prosperous direction.
