RIYADH — The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Global Summit will take place in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.

The new was announced during the closing session of this year’s summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Kigali’s turn in the summit spotlight marks the first time the event will visit Africa.

Rwanda, the home of the International Gorilla Conservation Program, will showcase the power of sustainable tourism to protect biodiversity and create thriving communities.

WTTC closed its largest ever Global Summit last week with more than 3,000 delegates from more than 85 countries in attendance, and thousands of people around the world watching remotely. The event saw speakers such as former UK Prime Minister Theresa May, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and actor, filmmaker, and Golden Globe winner, Edward Norton.

During the event, WTTC and the Ministry of Tourism of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia launched the Environmental & Social Research (ESR). The new data details the climate footprint of the global Travel & Tourism sector, and in a world-first, the research covers 185 countries across all regions, and will be updated each year with the latest figures.

 Addressing delegates during her closing speech, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “We are incredibly excited that Rwanda will host our next Global Summit in 2023. An amazing country famous for its conservation work, Rwanda is building its reputation as a must-see destination.”