Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb and
Minister of Tourism of the Indonesia Widiyanti Wardhana, held a meeting on the
sidelines of the 126th Session of the UN Tourism Executive Council in Toledo,
Spain.
The ministers discussed ways to strengthen bilateral tourism cooperation,
expand visitor flows, and build on the longstanding ties between Saudi Arabia
and Indonesia.
Al-Khateeb said: “Saudi Arabia and Indonesia share a uniquely strong tourism
connection through faith and culture. We are now working closely with our
Indonesian partners to enrich that connection, expand tourism exchange, enhance
the visitor journey, and create opportunities for our destinations, businesses
and communities.”
Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said: “Saudi Arabia is one of Indonesia's key
partners in the Middle East, and Indonesia stands ready to further deepen this
partnership, particularly in tourism, in a spirit of mutual respect and shared
benefit.â€
During the meeting, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of the
Saudi-Indonesian tourism partnership and reviewed the progress made under the
existing Memorandum of Understanding.
Additionally, the delegations explored opportunities to expand Indonesian
visitor flows to Saudi Arabia across religious and leisure tourism, discussing
ways to enrich the journeys of Indonesia's Hajj and Umrah visitors by
introducing them to Saudi Arabia's wider experiences and destinations beyond
Makkah and Madinah.
Indonesia is preparing to welcome more Saudi tourists. To achieve this,
Indonesia has proposed the establishment of Arabic and Hospitality Centers at
the Lombok Tourism Polytechnic.
This initiative aims to enhance the professional
competencies of the Indonesian tourism workforce to better serve and
accommodate Arab tourists.
The bilateral meeting was held on the sidelines of the 126th session of the UN
Tourism Executive Council, of which both countries are active members, driving
collective action and ensuring sustainability, resilience, and inclusion are at
the heart of the global tourism sector. -TradeArabia News Service
