Power Letters 2022: John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company and Amaala

Power Letters 2022: John Pagano, CEO, The Red Sea Development Company and Amaala

The world over, we are witnessing tourism gather pace in its recovery. A renewed sense of optimism is driving economic resilience and agility, while travel aspirations remain unabated. As I reflect on the tumultuous period of the past two years, I see no better time than now for us to galvanise action towards effectively balancing the needs of the people, planet, and prosperity. Industry recovery must stay grounded in sustainability if we are to build back better. In 2021, world leaders were laser-focused on tackling sustainability. I was honoured to speak at global forums like SKIFT, World Travel Market, the Saudi Green Initiative and the Future Investment Initiative and witness first-hand how closer industry collaboration is shaping a new frontier for tourism development. In a milestone year for Saudi Arabia, we saw climate action prioritised, with the kingdom’s pledge towards net zero carbon emissions by 2060 setting a precedent like no other. For us at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), it represents renewed confidence in our approach to deliver large-scale sustainability. Our approach not only defines success based on economic value, but applies a regenerative lens to go beyond simply protecting the ecosystems, communities, and biodiversity that surround us,