Prince Sultan bin Salman participates in London Tourism and Travel summit

London ministerial summit of the International Tourism Organization and Internatioanl Travel Market were opened here today with the participation of delegates from 149 counties. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Arabian Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SACTA), led Saudi Arabia's delegation to the event. In a key speech at the summit's major symposium held under the theme "How to fill the gap between tourism and aviation", Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz cast light on the increase of the Kingdom's economic leverage and its status as a crucial player in the world economic system. He noted that the number of domestic tourists in Saudi Arabia amounted to more than 33 million over the last few years and that the touristy market contributed to the provision of 751,000 direct jobs. He noted that Saudi Arabia is Muslims' Kiblah, the home of the two holiest mosques and occupies a strategic location on the world map, making it a conjunction of different civilizations and a cross point for world trade since early days of history. Most recently, it occupied a new place as an economic major player, citing its membership to the G20 and its sole seat as an Arab country in the Board of Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said Saudi Arabia's share in IMF's reached 2.93 percent and its voting force amounted to 2.8 percent. He gave an account on the development of the SACTA, casting light on its plans and programs.