UN Tourism AI Challenge finalists spotlight innovation and responsibility in Riyadh

26TH UN TOURISM GENERAL ASSEMBLY – RIYADH – REPORT: UN Tourism AI Challenge took centre stage on Saturday, 8 November 2025, at the “UN Tourism Tech Adventure: Grand Finale of the UN Tourism Artificial Intelligence Challenge”, held during the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Grand Finale gathered global innovators, policymakers, investors, and tourism leaders to explore how artificial intelligence can transform the sector while remaining human-centred, inclusive, and sustainable. Opening remarks were delivered by Ms Natalia Bayona, Executive Director of UN Tourism; Mr Samer Al-Kharashi, Director of the UN Tourism Regional Office for the Middle East; and HH Prince Saud Al Saud, Executive Director of TDF GROW – Tourism Development Fund.

Ms Natalia Bayona: AI, Youth and Innovation at the Core of Tourism’s Future

Marking her 12th visit to the Kingdom, Ms Natalia Bayona opened the event by celebrating the innovators shaping the future of tourism. She acknowledged the presence of ministers from Africa and Latin America and extended special thanks to His Highness Prince Saud Al Saud and the team behind the partnership with UN Tourism. Passionate about innovation, she underlined her commitment to investment and youth empowerment to accelerate technology adoption across the tourism innovation ecosystem.

Outlining the UN Tourism AI agenda, she noted that the initiative was launched one year ago at World Travel Market in response to a need expressed by tourism ministries worldwide. She stressed that tourism must remain human-centric, adding that “tourism thrives on the power of people and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which account for over 80% of the sector.”

The UN Tourism AI Challenge received 400 applications from 84 countries, and the five finalists represented Spain, Saudi Arabia/UAE, Colombia, India, and Brazil across four categories:

• Branding, Promotion and Marketing
•  Smart Destinations and Deep Technologies
• Education and Technology
• Efficiency and Operations

The finalists “exemplified how to bridge the gap between technology and policy”, with UN Tourism positioned as a partner to help ministries integrate solutions. She thanked partners La Roche, TDF, Plug and Play, and Amadeus, as well as the regional office team.

Also read → AI-driven tourism ecosystem takes centre stage at UN Tourism General Assembly

Ms Bayona also announced two upcoming publications: one on the impact of AI on tourism jobs in the Kingdom, and another proposing an AI framework for innovating authentication. She highlighted significant opportunities for winners, including a two-month acceleration programme with a leading university in Toronto, mentorship, access to UN Tourism’s venture capital network, and the chance to present their solutions to the General Assembly. The session, she noted, aims to “empower young generations and integrate technology as a core element of the tourism conversation.”

Mr Samer Al-Kharashi: A Global Call to Shape a Human-Centred Tourism Sector

In his welcome remarks, Mr Samer Al-Kharashi emphasised that the Grand Finale celebrated “innovation, creativity, and the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in shaping a smarter, more sustainable, inclusive, and human-centred future for the global tourism sector.”

He described the UN Tourism AI Challenge as a global call to startups, entrepreneurs, and innovators to redefine how AI can serve people, destinations, and the planet. The response was “extraordinary”, with proposals demonstrating AI’s potential to enhance sustainability, traveller well-being, and visitor experiences while ensuring ethics and responsibility.

Mr Al-Kharashi praised the finalists for demonstrating how AI solutions can support the sector’s evolution, noting that their achievements “remind us that the future of tourism will be defined by innovation guided by responsibility and purpose.” He acknowledged collaboration with partners such as The Roche, Sparta, Innovation Sphere, Unicorn, and Platon Play.

Highlighting the presence of a Middle Eastern finalist, he said it reflects the region’s commitment to nurturing talent and positioning youth on the global innovation stage.

HH Prince Saud Al Saud: Responsible AI to Deliver “Better, Faster, and Fairer” Tourism

HH Prince Saud Al Saud focused his speech on the critical need for responsible and sustainable AI to transform tourism. He emphasised that tourism is a connector of people, ecosystems, and businesses, and that AI can strengthen tourism systems to make them “better, faster, and fairer,” provided it is guided by purpose, inclusion, responsibility, and trust.

He outlined TDF’s guiding principles:

• Purposeful AI, creating real benefits in destinations and businesses
• Inclusive AI, acting as a driver of skills, accessibility, and SME empowerment
• Trusted AI, safeguarding privacy, transparency, and human oversight

He described Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 as a platform for innovation, calling the Kingdom a “living lab” for responsible tourism technology development. He invited founders to bring solutions that enhance visitor experience, manage visitor flows, support authenticity, and strengthen sustainability for SMEs and local communities.

Addressing corporate leaders, he urged them to invest in emerging innovators, “providing capital, customers, and mentorship to turn prototypes into real platforms.”

A Shared Message: AI Will Enhance — Not Replace — Tourism’s Human Soul

The Grand Finale of the UN Tourism AI Challenge concluded with a unified message: while AI will accelerate innovation and elevate tourism models, it does not change the essence of travel — meaningful encounters that enrich lives and respect places. Instead, AI provides tools to fulfil this promise more effectively, fairly, and sustainably for future generations.

The article UN Tourism AI Challenge finalists spotlight innovation and responsibility in Riyadh first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

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