Sustainable Tourism Global Center

The Sustainable Tourism Global Center (STGC) is an initiative by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish a coalition of multiple countries and parties that aims to accelerate the tourism sector's journey to net-zero emissions harmful to the environment and encourage international participation in environmental preservation. It was announced by Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, on October 23, 2021, during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum in Riyadh City.

The initiative to establish the STGC aligns with the Kingdom's interest in sustainable development in the tourism sector at both the local and global levels. The tourism and travel sector contributes about 8 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Additionally, 330 million people around the world rely on the tourism sector for their jobs. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sector led to the loss of more than sixty million jobs globally, highlighting the importance of international cooperation to make tourism part of the solution to the climate problem.

The Kingdom's interest in sustainable development is also evident in the mega tourism projects it has launched, all of which have considered sustainable development issues, environmental conservation, and reliance on eco-friendly alternatives.

On March 15, 2022, the STGC approved the appointment of eight international experts in the field of tourism sustainability to serve as its ambassadors in Europe, Asia, and America.

STGC works to accelerate the transition of the tourism sector to net-zero emissions. It supports global efforts to protect nature and communities, empowers the tourism sector to grow and create job opportunities, and achieves the climate goals agreed upon in the Paris Climate Agreement, including limiting the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The center, which includes experts and specialists in tourism sustainability, aims to be the foundation upon which the tourism sector relies during the recovery period from the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 80 percent of companies in the tourism sector are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the center targets them to support and enable them to achieve climate goals.