Actor Edward Norton and Saudi Ministry of Tourism Pledge $1M to Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust

American actor and philanthropist Edward Norton and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb pledged a $1 million donation to support the work of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust in Kenya.

The announcement was made at the 22nd World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Summit held in Riyadh with the Saudi Ministry of Tourism. According to an official press note, the donation is a part of the ministry's continuing commitment to support conservation and sustainable tourism.

Speaking at the Summit, Norton said, “The defining challenge of the 21st Century is adapting our economies and industries to be ecologically sustainable and to put the brakes on global warming. We have to raise the bar higher on sustainability standards for the tourism industry and I really appreciate that WTTC invited me to be a little bit provocative in challenging the industry not to accept superficial changes as ‘enough’."

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Norton is the President of the Board of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, a Kenya-based community conservation organisation that partners with traditional communities in East Africa to conserve key ecosystems by developing sustainable, natural resource-based economic revenues. 

A long-standing advocate for conservation causes, Norton was appointed as the first United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity in 2019 by then-UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who also spoke at the WTTC Summit.

Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said, “The Kingdom’s tourism strategy is built on using renewable approaches to development, preserving landscapes and empowering communities. Mr Norton’s passionate advocacy can only encourage us here and around the world to follow his example in building a sustainable future.”