Tourise names advisory board to shape Saudi summit agenda

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Julia Simpson, Fahd Hamidaddin and Thomas Woldbye

Tourise has formed a 14-member advisory board, tasked with shaping the agenda of its inaugural summit in Riyadh this November.

The global event, which runs from 11 to 13 November 2025, comes at a moment of intense scrutiny and ambition within global tourism, as the sector navigates ongoing recovery and rapid change.

The board brings together senior leaders from tourism, technology, aviation, entertainment, education, sustainability and media and is chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khateeb.

Among those on the advisory board: Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council; Randy Durband, Head of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; Luis Maroto, CEO of Amadeus; Heathrow Airport’s Chief Executive Thomas Woldbye; former CEO of Six Senses, Neil Jacobs; Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President Stéphane Lefebvre; and Saudi Tourism Authority Chief Fahd Hamidaddin, who also serves as Vice Chair of Tourise.

Lineup of 14-member advisory board for Tourise

Al-Khateeb says the panel aims to unite wide-ranging perspectives with the goal of setting an agenda that supports innovation, investment and sustainability not just for Saudi Arabia, but for tourism globally.

That sentiment backs his belief from the launch event where Al-Khateeb said the Saudi Ministry of Tourism decided to instigate Tourise as it saw a gap in a sector where the kingdom is investing more than two trillion dollars.

This unprecedented investment in tourism infrastructure saw Saudi attract 116 million visitors in 2024, surpassing its original 100 million target seven years ahead of schedule. The new target is 150 million tourists annually by 2030.

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Speaking on her involvement, Simpson described Tourise not simply as a conference but as a “catalyst for global transformation in tourism”.

“I joined the advisory board because I believe in the power of cross-sector collaboration to drive sustainable growth, foster innovation, and set new standards for responsible travel.".

The advisory board will meet regularly in the run-up to the invite-only summit to ensure the programme reflects current challenges and opportunities.

After the event, Tourise is expected to transition into a year-round platform for industry engagement.

Coinciding with the summit, Connections Saudi will take place in Riyadh from 10 to 14 November.

Organised by Jacobs Media, publisher of Connecting Travel, and held in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, the immersive event will bring together 600 global attendees – including hand-picked travel buyers and leading Saudi tourism suppliers – for one-to-one meetings and cultural exchanges.

For more information, visit www.tourise.com/en/home