Tourism Collaboration between India and Saudi Arabia

Trade Promotion Council of India organised a webinar on Tourism Collaboration between India and Saudi Arabia jointly with the support of the Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on July 11, 2021. The webinar focused on the opportunities and potential for collaboration for promotion of tourism between the two countries, and how this can catalyse their revival from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Trade Promotion Council of India organised a webinar on Tourism Collaboration between India and Saudi Arabia jointly with the support of the Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on July 11, 2021.

Tourism is among the world’s largest and fastest growing industries. For many countries, it is a key tool for regional development. It brings in vital foreign exchange, propels infrastructural growth, catalyses growth of other industries, brings resources to conserve local art, culture and history, builds deeper inter-cultural linkages and boosts employment. According to a statistic, every 10th job in the world is a result of the global tourism and hospitality industry!

In India, travel and tourism contributed 6.9% to the total economy, with an annual size of US$ 191.3 billion and 8.8% of total employment in 2019. This dropped to 4.7% of economy or US$ 121.9 billion in 2020, and 7.3% of employment. For Saudi Arabia, this figure stood at US$ 79.2 billion or 9.8% to the total economy in 2019, and dropped to 7.1% and US$ 48.5 billion in 2020. Contribution to employment dropped from 12.2% to 11% during the same period.

In the present context, both economies are undoubtedly looking at ways to revive travel routes and bring tourism back on its feet, while keeping the persistently unpredictable trajectory of the pandemic in mind. At the same time the rapid pace of vaccinations gives us hope that the shadow of gloom over this sector will lift soon.

At the same time, this is an opportune moment to introspect and plan the post-COVID roadmap of the tourism sector from a strategic perspective – analysing current trends, what has worked so far,  what facilitation measures are needed and what new avenues can be explored. 

 

The webinar focused on the opportunities and potential for collaboration for promotion of tourism between the two countries, and how this can catalyse their revival from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Panelists:

• HE Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Ambassador of India to Saudi Arabia

• Mr. Khalid Al Aboodi, President of the SIBN’s Riyadh regional chapter

• Mr. Augustus Simon, Director – Indian Subcontinent, Saudi Tourism Authority

• Mr. G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, IAS, C&MD, ITDC

• Mr Ashok Sethi, Director, Trade Promotion Council of India

• Mr. Abdullah Saud Al Twaijiri, Corporate Manager – ITL Saudi Arabia

• Mr. Ravi Gosain, Vice President – IATO and Managing Director, Erco Travels

• Mr Suresh Kr Makhijani, Joint Director General, Trade Promotion Council of India

The session was moderated by Virat Bahri, Deputy Director-Media & Corporate Communications, Trade Promotion Council of India and Editor, India Business & Trade.