About UNWTO
UN Tourism is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.Activities by UNWTO
AI Impact Analysis on Tourism Jobs and the Future of Tourism with Special Focus on Saudi Arabia
Global Saudi Arabia
AI Impact Analysis on Tourism Jobs and the Future of Tourism — with Special Focus on Saudi Arabia (2nd Edition, 2026) is a joint report by UN Tourism and Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism, developed with Prince Sultan University, Amadeus, and The Metaverse Institute. The 64-page study examines how artificial intelligence is reshaping employment across the tourism sector, linking global AI trends to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 workforce goals. Drawing on expert interviews with 16 senior professionals from 12 countries, academic research, and sector data, it analyzes which jobs are most exposed to automation (waiters, receptionists, housekeepers, travel agents), which new roles are emerging (AI travel advisors, destination managers, ethicists, accessibility coordinators), and how the workforce can be prepared through targeted upskilling.
The report sets out ten strategic priorities and ten emerging opportunity areas for Saudi Arabia, spanning medical, religious, screen, and business (MCCI) tourism, alongside robotics, digital currencies, and AI-powered global marketing. It highlights live Saudi deployments like SARA (the AI travel companion), HUMAIN (the new USD 10 billion national AI company), and SDAIA's crowd-management platforms for Hajj and Umrah, while cautioning that high AI adoption without a prepared workforce risks disruption and inequality. The core message: AI should amplify,not replace ,human hospitality, and Saudi Arabia has a near-term window to become a global reference for AI-powered tourism that is efficient, inclusive, and culturally rooted.
AI Monitor: Digital Toolkit and Capacity-Building Programme for Implementing, Monitoring and Reporting on AI Integration in Tourism
Global Not Applicable
The Digital Toolkit and Capacity-Building Programme for Implementing, Monitoring and Reporting on AI Integration in Tourism is a new instrument developed by UN Tourism to support Member States in their digital transition through the strategic adoption of Artificial Intelligence. The toolkit brings together practical guidelines, implementation roadmaps, governance models, reporting templates and dedicated training modules to facilitate the responsible deployment of AI solutions across destinations. Through digital resources, use cases, monitoring indicators and a comprehensive capacity-building component, the initiative provides governments and tourism institutions with a clear and actionable framework to optimize processes, enhance decision-making and strengthen the sector’s competitiveness.
The purpose of the toolkit is to equip countries with the tools and capacities needed to implement, monitor and report AI integration in tourism, ensuring an ethical, safe and effective adoption aligned with UN Tourism’s global recommendations.
UN Tourism Women in Tech Startup Competition Middle East 2nd Edition
Arab States BahrainEgyptIraqJordanKuwaitLebanonOmanSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab Emirates
Countries across the Middle East continue to integrate innovation and women’s empowerment within their long-term economic development and tourism strategies. As more women across the region launch tech-driven ventures and propose solutions for sustainable tourism, they need access to support, visibility and investment opportunities. In this regard, the second edition of the Women in Tech Startup Competition offers a platform for pioneering entrepreneurs to bring forward sustainable and tech-enabled tourism solutions.
All the winning startups of this second edition deliver impactful, women-led technological solutions for tourism and adjacent sectors:
• Dosy (Egypt) delivering an innovative tourism-tech solution.
• BuzzAR (Saudi Arabia) offering augmented reality / technology solutions for tourism or travel experiences.
• Darent (Saudi Arabia) offering a tech-driven project in the hospitality / tourism ecosystem.
This competition closed with a total of 132 applicants from 11 countries in the Middle East.
UN Tourism - Awake Tourism Challenge
Africa, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America and the Caribbean ArmeniaBrazilFranceGermanyNamibiaNetherlandsNorwayPanamaPortugalQatarRepublic of KoreaSingaporeSpainUnited StatesFollowing a careful evaluation process, 15 winners out of 2,000 participants from 120 countries were released. The majority of applications came from Africa, Europe and the Americas, and mainly from the Tourism Tech for Good and Local Community Involvement categories. Top reade-to-implement solutions have joined the UN Tourism Innovation Network and look forward to engaging projects all over the world.
Activity Type AI Tools/SolutionsPolicy/Regulatory GuidanceNetworks/Mentorship/Exchange