Saudi Arabia Launches Game-Changing Travel and Tourism Initiatives at TOURISE 2026
Alexandra
Revolutionizing Tourism: Saudi Arabia’s Bold Steps at TOURISE 2025
TOURISE 2025, a groundbreaking global travel event held over three days and organized by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, has unveiled a series of pioneering initiatives aiming to reshape the future of international tourism. The event brought together diverse industry leaders from traditionally separate sectors – from border control to artificial intelligence companies – illuminating a new era where tourism is integrated with broader economic and security frameworks rather than operating in isolation.
Visa by Profile: A Passport-Agnostic Leap Forward
Among the most innovative ideas emerging from TOURISE 2025 is the concept of “Visa by Profile.” This initiative proposes issuing travel visas based on a digital traveller profile rather than solely on nationality or passport. By assessing financial solvency and leveraging credit scoring through partnerships with institutions like Visa, this system aims to simplify visa issuance for low-risk, financially verified travellers. It promises faster, more efficient visa processing that could unleash access for hundreds of millions of potential tourists worldwide.
This pilot program launching in Saudi Arabia is intended to expand globally, potentially benefiting travellers from populous regions such as India, Indonesia, and across Asia. Such a transformation could redefine mobility paradigms by minimizing bureaucratic hurdles and fostering smoother cross-border travel.
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Putting Traveller Safety at the Forefront
Safety, often an overlooked aspect within tourism discussions, took center stage at TOURISE through the creation of the Tourism Destination Initiative (TDI). This emerging alliance includes 27 members spanning mayors, AI companies, and tech giants like Google and Amazon (AWS), united to address increasing security challenges faced by travellers worldwide.
Safety concerns, such as theft and attacks, continue to rise. The TDI coalition’s first focus is on destination safety, with plans to explore city design improvements, advanced surveillance, and next-generation urban tourism in future phases.
Unveiling the World’s First Agentic Protocol for Tourism
Another major launch was the Agentic Protocol for Tourism, a universal digital framework designed to streamline a traveller’s entire journey using AI agents. Created in collaboration with global partners including Globant, Red Sea Global, Riyadh Air, and others, the protocol defines seamless interaction from travel inspiration to the moment a tourist returns home, embodying a future where AI guides and enhances travel experiences.
Tourism Meets Retail and Urban Development: The Consumption Economy
Saudi leadership highlighted tourism’s inseparable link with urban life and consumer culture. The event fostered conversations with retail giants about transforming traditional shopping areas into immersive experience zones. This reflects a global trend where brands evolve beyond mere transactions to become lifestyle spaces, such as fitness centers branded by major manufacturers or culturally rich urban environments thriving on tourism influx.
Illustrative examples include cities like London, where tourists form a significant percentage of commuters, supporting infrastructure that benefits both visitors and residents. Similarly, Greece leverages a tourist population four times its own to build and sustain facilities that might otherwise be unattainable.
Saudi Arabia as a Global Innovation Hub in Tourism
Saudi Arabia's advantage lies in its fresh approach—a "living laboratory" environment unencumbered by legacy systems. This allows rapid testing and deployment of innovations across new cities and infrastructure, positioning the Kingdom as a leader in pioneering next-generation tourism solutions that can be scaled and exported worldwide.
Highlights of TOURISE 2025 Initiatives
| Initiative | Description | Partners | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa by Profile | Digital visa issuance based on traveller financial profiles instead of passports | Visa, financial institutions, government ministries | Streamlines visa processing, unlocks travel access for millions |
| Tourism Destination Initiative (TDI) | Alliance focused on enhancing traveller safety through technology and policy | Mayors, AI firms, Google, Amazon AWS | Improved destination security and urban tourism safety models |
| Agentic Protocol for Tourism | Universal AI-driven framework managing traveller journey end-to-end | Globant, Saudi aviation and infrastructure players, Amazon AWS | Seamless travel experiences powered by AI |
The Historical Context of Saudi Tourism Development
Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector has experienced rapid evolution in recent decades, aligned with national strategies emphasizing economic diversification beyond oil revenues. Historically, the Kingdom focused on religious tourism, hosting millions of pilgrims annually, but in recent years, it has invested heavily in broader leisure and cultural tourism infrastructure.
National programs spanning 20 years aim to systematically develop sustainable tourism, with increasing international visitor numbers and growing domestic employment in tourism-related industries. This growth reflects Saudi Arabia’s strategic location and commitment to transforming into a leading global destination by embracing innovation, modern infrastructure, and international partnerships.
The Future of Tourism: A Forecast
Saudi Arabia’s holistic and innovative approach as witnessed at TOURISE 2025 signals a major shift in how travel and tourism industries might evolve globally. The integration of AI, digital identity verification, and cross-sector collaboration could serve as models for other nations aiming to unlock the full potential of people’s mobility while addressing safety and urban planning challenges.
As tourism becomes ever more entwined with urban consumption culture and technological advancement, destinations that adopt flexible, tech-driven, and consumer-oriented strategies will likely lead future tourism waves. This paradigm shift could increase tourist numbers, enhance experiences, and foster greater economic benefits worldwide.
Conclusion: Navigating the Future of Travel and Tourism
TOURISE 2025 stands out as a beacon of innovation, bridging sectors usually compartmentalized in the tourism realm. Initiatives like Visa by Profile promise to lower entry barriers for billions of potential travellers, while the TDI alliance addresses critical safety challenges. The launch of an AI-powered Agentic Protocol for Tourism exemplifies the bold tech-forward vision embracing the digital age.
Saudi Arabia’s position as a dynamic testbed for these innovations exemplifies how emerging tourism superpowers can influence global travel trends by combining urban design, retail evolution, and technology. For regions rich in marine and sailing tourism, these advances could pave the way for smoother international access and enhanced safety in coastal and island destinations, enriching the boating and yachting experience for adventurers worldwide.
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