https://arab.news/zvcyq
- Sector well ahead on its track to contribute 10 percent of gross domestic product by 2030
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ambitious growth plans for the tourism industry have started paying dividends, with the sector having generated 250,000 jobs since 2019, said a top government official.
Addressing the Global Labor Market Conference, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb noted that the industry was well ahead on its track to contribute 10 percent of the gross domestic product by 2030.
Al-Khateeb disclosed that employment in the sector took off from 600,000 jobs in 2019 to 850,000 this year and is expected to touch 1.6 million by 2030.
He further outlined that by hosting EXPO 2030 in Riyadh, the sector will see a boost of 250,000 jobs, stressing the importance of the sustainable jobs the Kingdom intends to provide.
Al-Khateeb added that the travel and tourism sector represents 10 percent of the global labor market and employed 330 million jobs in 2019 before the pandemic.
However, the industry lost 60 million jobs during the pandemic, with hotels and airlines bearing the worst effects.
“Today, we have returned to what was before the pandemic, according to the World Tourism Organization of the UN and the Travel and Tourism Council, which is good,” the minister added.
Al-Khateeb further pointed out that the Kingdom’s WTO presidency and the upcoming general assembly were other milestones that would drive the travel and tourism industry.
Disclosing the course of the upcoming general assembly, the minister said the event will deliberate on the planet’s sustainability, doubling the number of tourism services and preserving the natural terrain of tourist destinations.
He further underscored that there will be a considerable emphasis on retaining the human element in the sector that has largely grown digitally.
“In our sector, some people talked about digitizing the journey. From the time you get a visa to the time you get your boarding pass to get onto the plane. You don’t need to see people; you don’t need to interact with people. We are losing people, but definitely we will discuss this in the general assembly of the UNWTO,” he said.
He added: “People are extremely fundamental to convert and share their concerns when traveling from one country to another. Therefore, we want to keep the people and remember to make sure that people in the travel and tourism sector remain an element to transfer and convey the culture between the nations.”