(Seria, 13th) Brunei participated in the 26th United Nations Tourism Conference held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The theme of the conference was “AI-powered Tourism: Reshaping the Future”. This conference also marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Tourism Conference and was chaired by Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb.
More than 1,400 delegates from 148 countries attended the conference, including around 90 ministers, 17 deputy ministers, and 70 ambassadors, reflecting a global commitment to advancing innovation and sustainable development in the tourism industry.
The Brunei delegation was led by Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Manap, accompanied by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Mohammad Yusri, as well as officials from the Tourism Development Department.
The conference report stated that the number of international tourist arrivals in 2024 will reach 1.5 billion, basically returning to pre-pandemic levels, and that global tourism revenue will total 1.7 trillion US dollars.
In the first quarter of 2025, tourist arrivals grew by 5%. Despite facing inflation and geopolitical challenges, global tourism demand remains strong, with an expected annual growth rate of 3% to 5%.
The conference also welcomed the appointment of Mrs. Sheikha AlNuaimi of the United Arab Emirates as the new Secretary-General for United Nations Tourism Affairs, with a term from 2026 to 2029.
One of the key topics of the conference was the discussion of the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of tourism.
The adopted “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism” reaffirmed the commitment of member states to responsibly utilize emerging technologies, promote innovation, and advance the development of a sustainable and inclusive tourism industry.
The conference also approved the “2026–2027 United Nations Tourism Work Program” submitted by the outgoing Secretary-General of United Nations Tourism Affairs.
This program, developed in extensive consultation with member countries, aims to strengthen the global tourism industry by advancing sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience, while also promoting innovation, investment, and digital transformation. Activities under this program place special emphasis on education, skills development, and partnerships for cultivating a future-ready tourism workforce.
The outgoing Secretary-General also reported on the implementation of the 2024–2025 draft work program, highlighting progress in Priority Area 1, which focuses on enhancing competitiveness through reliable tourism statistics, UN standards, data, and market intelligence. Under this framework, Brunei will take the lead on an initiative and host a UN tourism regional workshop in Brunei in November 2025 on measuring the sustainability of the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
Brunei recognizes the importance of measuring tourism sustainability and emphasizes that tourism development must be guided by robust data and evidence-based policy. This regional workshop will offer a valuable platform to enhance regional capacity and enable the application of international frameworks and methodologies to assess the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of tourism, reflecting Brunei's ongoing commitment to promoting data-driven, resilient, and inclusive tourism growth.
These efforts strongly align with the “Brunei Darussalam Economic Blueprint” and the “Brunei Darussalam Tourism Roadmap (2024–2035)”, both of which emphasize innovation, sustainability, and inclusiveness as key drivers of national progress. Through active engagement with United Nations tourism affairs, Brunei continues to consolidate its position as a responsible partner and supports the nation’s efforts towards economic diversification and sustainable development under the framework of “Brunei Vision 2035”.
The theme of the conference was “AI-powered Tourism: Reshaping the Future”. This conference also marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Tourism Conference and was chaired by Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb.
More than 1,400 delegates from 148 countries attended the conference, including around 90 ministers, 17 deputy ministers, and 70 ambassadors, reflecting a global commitment to advancing innovation and sustainable development in the tourism industry.
The Brunei delegation was led by Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Manap, accompanied by Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism Mohammad Yusri, as well as officials from the Tourism Development Department.
The conference report stated that the number of international tourist arrivals in 2024 will reach 1.5 billion, basically returning to pre-pandemic levels, and that global tourism revenue will total 1.7 trillion US dollars.
In the first quarter of 2025, tourist arrivals grew by 5%. Despite facing inflation and geopolitical challenges, global tourism demand remains strong, with an expected annual growth rate of 3% to 5%.
The conference also welcomed the appointment of Mrs. Sheikha AlNuaimi of the United Arab Emirates as the new Secretary-General for United Nations Tourism Affairs, with a term from 2026 to 2029.
The adopted “Riyadh Declaration on the Future of Tourism” reaffirmed the commitment of member states to responsibly utilize emerging technologies, promote innovation, and advance the development of a sustainable and inclusive tourism industry.
The conference also approved the “2026–2027 United Nations Tourism Work Program” submitted by the outgoing Secretary-General of United Nations Tourism Affairs.
This program, developed in extensive consultation with member countries, aims to strengthen the global tourism industry by advancing sustainability, inclusivity, and resilience, while also promoting innovation, investment, and digital transformation. Activities under this program place special emphasis on education, skills development, and partnerships for cultivating a future-ready tourism workforce.
The outgoing Secretary-General also reported on the implementation of the 2024–2025 draft work program, highlighting progress in Priority Area 1, which focuses on enhancing competitiveness through reliable tourism statistics, UN standards, data, and market intelligence. Under this framework, Brunei will take the lead on an initiative and host a UN tourism regional workshop in Brunei in November 2025 on measuring the sustainability of the tourism industry in the Asia-Pacific region.
Brunei recognizes the importance of measuring tourism sustainability and emphasizes that tourism development must be guided by robust data and evidence-based policy. This regional workshop will offer a valuable platform to enhance regional capacity and enable the application of international frameworks and methodologies to assess the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of tourism, reflecting Brunei's ongoing commitment to promoting data-driven, resilient, and inclusive tourism growth.
These efforts strongly align with the “Brunei Darussalam Economic Blueprint” and the “Brunei Darussalam Tourism Roadmap (2024–2035)”, both of which emphasize innovation, sustainability, and inclusiveness as key drivers of national progress. Through active engagement with United Nations tourism affairs, Brunei continues to consolidate its position as a responsible partner and supports the nation’s efforts towards economic diversification and sustainable development under the framework of “Brunei Vision 2035”.