Each delegate to the 116th Executive Council of the United Nations World Tourism Organization in Jeddah will receive personalized non-fungible tokens from Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism.

Aljohara Al-Saleem, the Ministry of Tourism's Digital Transformation General Manager, told Arab News that each delegate would receive a gift box comprising a physical ledger that can be used as a wallet and a key to access their NFTs.

"It's a one-of-a-kind item." Each of these NFTs has a hidden jewel of the Kingdom's regions and cities," she explained.

She told Arab News that the present was intended to show the delegates how far the Kingdom has progressed in digital tourism.

According to Al-Saleem, the tourism ministry is interested in connecting the physical and metaverse worlds to demonstrate how tourism has progressed and will look in the future.

She went on to say that the country's tourist infrastructure is poised to incorporate digital breakthroughs, transformation, and innovation into its growth.

"The Kingdom's tourist sector is built for the future," she remarked.
The ministry, according to Al-Saleem, is tech-savvy, with leadership that encourages innovation and digital transformation. "So why don't we do it?" she said.

The Kingdom is investing in smart cities and digital transformation, according to Al-Saleem.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb and King Salman, she added, provide support and leadership to the ministry.

"So now, we have everything we need to generate this tourism-industry innovation," she added.

She said the ministry's digital tourism plan is in line with Vision 2030's goals and aspirations, as well as the national tourist strategy.

The ministry's programs were aimed to encourage and empower the workforce, as well as develop a culture of creativity that would contribute to the digital economy, she noted, by introducing new business models and helping entrepreneurs.

"As a result, everything was created to achieve the Vision 2030 goals in the tourist sector and put the Kingdom on the global map for tourism," she said.