At the WTTC Global Summit in Rome, Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund (TDF) launched its first research paper, making the case that sustainability is not a cost but a source of profit and resilience. Backed by Vision 2030 and billions in planned investment, the Kingdom is positioning sustainable tourism as both a growth engine and a global benchmark.
Speaking before more than 1,200 international leaders, ministers and CEOs, Qusai Al-Fakhri, CEO of the Kingdom’s Tourism Development Fund (TDF), declared that sustainability is not a burden on the sector, but the very force that will shape its future.
The intervention came as TDF unveiled its first research paper, Purpose Meets Profit: The Case for Sustainable Tourism. The report builds a business case for sustainability in tourism, challenging the notion that greener practices weigh down growth. Instead, it argues, sustainability is a powerful investment driver — one that increases profitability, reduces risk, strengthens resilience, and unlocks opportunities for innovation.
Saudi Arabia has reasons to frame the issue with urgency. The Kingdom welcomed 109 million visitors in 2023, surpassing its 2030 target seven years ahead of schedule, and plans to channel SAR 3 trillion (USD 800 billion) into tourism by the end of the decade, creating 1.6 million jobs. Without sustainable practices, such rapid expansion could undermine the very assets that draw visitors. The new report points to global lessons: the closure of Maya Bay in Thailand to allow reef regeneration, or the protests in Spain triggered by overtourism and rising local costs. These examples serve as reminders that unmanaged growth has social and environmental consequences.
For Saudi Arabia, the challenge is to chart a different course. Al-Fakhri told delegates that sustainability must be seen as “the main engine for creating a balanced tourism industry that combines economic growth with environmental protection, ensures resilience, and builds long-term value for future generations.”
The white paper backs this with evidence. It notes that 84% of travellers now consider sustainability important in their choices, and younger generations are driving demand for eco-tourism and agri-tourism, projected to grow at annual rates of over 14% and 11% respectively. Beyond demand, the business case is clear: efficient water and energy use lowers costs, waste reduction improves margins, and resilient design protects infrastructure against climate risk. The report even points to innovations such as on-site farming in hospitality developments, which can reduce supply chain vulnerabilities while strengthening food security.
But profitability is not the only dividend. Sustainable tourism, the report argues, is also about building socio-economic value — empowering communities, creating jobs, preserving heritage, and ensuring equitable access, particularly in Saudi Arabia’s vast hospitality network for pilgrims. In this way, purpose and profit reinforce each other.
The financial ecosystem is evolving in the same direction. Globally, sustainable finance is projected to grow from SAR 248 billion (USD 66 billion) to SAR 1.43 trillion (USD 381 billion) by 2034, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE leading issuance in the region. Instruments such as green bonds and sustainability-linked loans are becoming mainstream, while ESG disclosure is increasingly demanded by investors. With SAR 15 billion (USD 4 billion) in capital, the Tourism Development Fund positions itself as both financier and catalyst, offering tools and incentives to steer Saudi projects towards sustainable outcomes.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism reinforced the message, saying the new report “showcases how sustainability isn’t a cost, but a powerful driver of profitability, resilience and long-term value — reducing risks, empowering communities and attracting global investment.”
Taken together, the research paper and the Kingdom’s interventions in Rome deliver a coherent narrative: the future of tourism will belong to destinations and investors that put sustainability at the core of their strategies. For Saudi Arabia, this approach is inseparable from Vision 2030, which sets out to diversify the economy while protecting natural and cultural assets.
For international advisors, developers and investors, the opportunity is clear. Saudi Arabia is opening one of the world’s most ambitious tourism investment landscapes — and it is doing so with a blueprint that insists purpose and profit are not opposites, but partners. As the Tourism Development Fund makes plain, those who embrace sustainability will not only protect resources and communities, but also secure stronger, more resilient returns.
Read also: 3 programmes launched by TDF set to empower tourism entrepreneurs and startups
