21 Nov, 25
by Muslims Holy TravelOn November 12, 2025, the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum launched a new project named ‘Beyond Global Tourism.’ The leading purpose of this ambitious multi-sector initiative is to transform the international tourism industry through a coordinated action focused on sustainability, economic resilience, and social inclusion. The announcement was made during TOURISE, a global event where leaders from both public and private sectors meet to discuss the future of tourism. Read this article ahead for more valuables!
Beyond Tourism brings together leaders across different sectors. They include infrastructure, technology, urban planning, real estate, culture and conservation to work toward a common vision for the future of travel. The program has 10 guiding principles, which are designed to ensure that tourism growth creates a meaningful and lasting impact. Not only residents but also visitors, businesses, and communities should be able to benefit from this kind of great approach.
The Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, said in the launch event that;
“The solutions we look for in tourism are also solutions for humanity itself. They help people understand, create opportunity, and make communities strong for future success.”
The launch of ‘Beyond Global Tourism’ aligns with the Vision 2030 plan of Saudi Arabia. This is the big strategic approach to grow the economy and improve society. Tourism is crucial since the Kingdom uses it as a source of income without depending on oil. Aside from this, it also shares the rich culture of Saudi Arabia with the world. Since 2030 started, the country has made big changes in its travel industry. This includes giving international visitors visas and the development of major projects like NEOM and the Red Sea Project. Adding more to this, the country has welcomed over 116 million tourists and hopes to reach 150 million by the year 2030.
Below are the ten guiding principles for transformative global tourism. Let’s dig deep into them!
Beyond Tourism is a development that comes at the right time, when the travel industry is undergoing colossal change. Tourism has recovered a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic left international travel at an almost standstill both in 2020 and 2021. The visitor numbers in most destinations are nearly equal or even higher than before the pandemic. Not only this, but some critical issues have also been raised in relation to this comeback. This includes increased pressure of tourism on the environment and overcrowding of the most popular destinations.
Tourism contributes 10% of GDP globally and one out of every ten jobs across the world. This especially applies to developing economies and small states. However, it also adds to carbon emissions, wastage, water shortage, cultural loss and the destruction of delicate natural ecosystems. As a result of these challenges, experts feel that tourism ought to be redesigned to generate higher benefits. They think there is a need to produce such tourism that creates no harm to the planet. As a continuation of programmes like the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action, Beyond Tourism is specially designed to provide sustainability, equity and resilience.
Saudi Arabia has launched this initiative to make the travel experience seamless to the brim. Many countries in the Middle East and North America want tourism to grow. This is because it can create jobs for young people and reduce reliance on oil too. Countries such as Qatar, Oman, and the UAE have been building hotels and attractions to draw the attention of more visitors.
The primary focus of Saudi Arabia is on sustainability. It means caring for the environment and local communities, not just bringing in lots of money and tourists. The Kingdom is an Islamic country and has religiously important sites in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. Millions of Muslims come here for the pilgrimage with all-inclusive Umrah offers. So, its tourism choices can significantly affect the whole religion. Travellers from around the world seek more eco-friendly and responsible options. The ‘Beyond Global Tourism’ initiative also supports the key roles of the United Nations to protect nature, minimise waste, and build much better cities.
This initiative has strong and hopeful goals. However, turning them into real action will be a challenging task. The tourism sector is very mixed, with small family hotels, airlines, tour companies, and cultural sites. All of these work differently. So, it is difficult to bring these groups together and guide them in the same direction. Tourism also involves tough tradeoffs. That means visitors' needs can conflict with local community wellbeing. Success will require steady support from Saudi Arabia, the World Economic Forum, and major industry partners as well. There is also a need to have strong systems to monitor progress and for honest reporting.
The concept behind Beyond Tourism is very clear. For instance, this initiative can help people get more jobs, protect nature, and unite cultures if practised responsibly. Tourism has the power to generate employment. It enables the communities to look after their natural and cultural inheritance. The project unites a lot of groups of people. This includes governments, businesses, nonprofits, international organisations, and travellers. Moreover, actual change requires proper collaboration. People need to tackle climate change, loss of nature, and social inequality. This initiative will seek to facilitate this change. In case it is successful, it will establish a new level of responsible travelling and illustrate that progress, sustainability, and justice can become one.
Hope you found the read helpful. Stay tuned and keep visiting our blog section for more updates. Muslims Holy Travel serves as your trusted partner for UK-based Umrah packages.
