Banking on the strides it has made in the tourism sector, Saudi Arabia has officially unveiled "TOURISE", a global platform designed to unite and encourage greater collaboration among the public and private sectors, over the next 50 years.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb graced the platform's virtual launch on Thursday, and said the year-round initiatives are designed to inspire transformation in the global tourism sector through strategic investments, integration of technological advancements and encourage high-level collaboration, targeting sustainability and impact.

He also said that tourism was one of the most dynamic, connective forces in the world's economy, supporting one in ten jobs globally. But as the world evolves, he added, "the sector must too".

A dedicated Innovation Zone will also feature technologies from global SMEs and corporations in fields such as AI, mobility, and sustainability.

This year, Al-Khateeb noted, the tourism sector would contribute $11.7 trillion to the worldwide economy. "That is 10.3 percent of the global GDP. By 2035, it will rise to $16.5 trillion."

Travel and Tourism already provides jobs for one in ten of the world's workforce population, Al-Khateeb said, noting that this is predicted to increase through 2035. TOURISE would have "titans of the tourism ecosystem" on its advisory board, he added.

"History tells us that the greatest agreements of our sector are when people come together, when nations have united, when governments have collaborated with companies, when innovators have worked, and when educators have inspired employees," said Al-Khateeb.

Julia Simpson, president and chief executive officer of the World Travel and Tourism Council, or WTTC, said TOURISE is "critical", not just to Saudi Arabia and the region, but to the world and is "a perfect partner with the WTTC".

According to the WTTC forecasts, international visitor spending will break all previous records this year, reaching an unprecedented $2.1 trillion to $164 billion more than the 2019 peak. Travel and Tourism is set to contribute more than 10 percent of Saudi Arabia's GDP in 2025, with sector employment projected to reach an all-time high of 2.7 million.

Across the wider region, the Middle East's Travel and Tourism is expected to contribute $367.3 billion to the regional economy, and support 7.7 million jobs this year. Meanwhile, international visitor spending is set to reach almost $194 billion this year, 24 percent above 2019 levels, whilst spending from domestic travellers is expected to hit almost $113 billion.

But while the sector is surging overall, WTTC noted momentum in some major economies is slowing.

According to the research, though the United States has the world's largest travel and tourism market, the US sector continues to lag, with international visitor spending trailing 2019 levels.

The inaugural invite-only TOURISE Summit will take place from Nov 11 to 13. The maiden TOURISE Awards will also be launched in the same period.

Nominations for the awards are scheduled to open on June 2, with winners to be announced on the summit's opening day.

"For this industry to evolve and reach its full potential, public-private sector collaboration is critical to the continued success of Travel and Tourism worldwide," said Simpson of the WTTC, and who is also a member of the TOURISE advisory board.

In 2023, Saudi Arabia recorded a record 100 million tourists, surpassing its goals for Vision 2030, a grand economic diversification plan introduced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2016.