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What’s Next For Tourism in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Tourism Authority + Skift

February 27th, 2024 at 9:45 AM EST

In the final Skift Travel Spotlight dispatch from World Travel Market in London, Skift speaks with Niall Gibbons, NEOM's Head of Tourism, about what’s on the horizon for travel and tourism in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Tourism Authority

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

As Saudi Arabia positions itself as a prominent player in global tourism, NEOM is at the center of its ambitions. In this episode of Skift Travel Spotlight, Skift Senior Director of Innovation Oliver Martin spoke with Niall Gibbons, Head of Tourism at NEOM, to get an insider’s view on Saudi Arabia’s evolving tourism landscape and NEOM’s ambitious projects.

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In this Podcast:

Transformation in Saudi Tourism : Insights on the remarkable transformation in Saudi society as the country embraces tourism, marking a significant shift in its focus and priorities.

NEOM’s Grand Projects : Updates on the opening of Sindalah Island, including what to expect from this 21,500 bedroom resort in the Red Sea, and an overview of THE LINE and Tojena.

Unique Location and Tourism Potentia l: Details on why NEOM’s strategic location in northwest Saudi Arabia, boasting a cooler climate and proximity to the Red Sea, positions it as an appealing and untapped tourism destination with vast potential.

Building Awareness and Relationships : Insights into NEOM’s strategy for building industry awareness, relationships, and partnerships in order to grow the destination in the future.

This content was created collaboratively by Saudi Tourism Authority and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX .

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Tags: neom , saudi arabia , skift podcast , SkiftX Showcase: Destinations

Saudi Tourism Forum

22 - 24 january 2024.

A wonderful Experience to Discover

​​ SAUDI ARABIA   is known by its mixture of global diversity that has emerged from many human civilizations.

In September 2019, Saudi Arabia opened its doors to the world for the first time, where the launch of the tourism visa, visitors flocked from around the globe to explore Saudi’s ancient history, striking landscapes, and discover the unique charm of Saudi ancient hospitality.

Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage

Visitors Welcomed in Saudi Arabia in 2021

Tourists a year Saudi Arabia aims to attract by 2030

Entertainment Events Organized in Saudi Arabia

On It's SECOND EDITION

After the exceptional success of the first edition, we are delighted to welcome you to the second edition of the Saudi Tourism Forum. In this forum, we will continue to promote the beauty of Saudi tourist destinations, strengthen constructive collaboration among all stakeholders in the Saudi tourism sector, and deepen awareness about investment and development opportunities in this vital industry, The second edition of the forum will serve as a platform for achieving remarkable successes and fostering a spirit of cooperation and partnership.

Join us on this journey, where we will make the present wonderful and the future truly impressive.

The center is located in the heart of northern Riyadh on King Abdullah Road, about 20 minutes from King Khalid International Airport.

Timing 

2:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 Dates

Mon 22nd Jan

Tue  23rd Jan

Wed 24th Jan

BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES!

OFFICIAL PARTNERS

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) opens commercial office in India

Thursday, September 2, 2021 Favorite

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has opened a commercial office in India for engaging the tourism trade in key source markets and increase awareness about Saudi, the authentic home of Arabia, as global travelers think about exploring exotic destinations again. Saudi reopened to vaccinated international visitors at the beginning of August.

STA now has representative offices in eleven markets serving 21 countries, and it nurtures the aim of having 15 offices around the world to expand the reach of the Authority’s activities.

To quote Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, “STA is focused on enhancing its ability to deliver a truly global scale offering by investing resources today in the network that will drive our business for the future. We are building an integrated global team of professionals to showcase Saudi’s diverse offering of cultural adventures, world class heritage sites and authentic Arabian hospitality.”

The India office will handle trade and consumer marketing activities, expand the reach and importance of Saudi’s tourism offer and working with tour operators, travel agents and other industry stakeholders to increase awareness and drive conversion harmonized with STA’s strategy and mission. The India representative office has been set up with the support of Think Strawberries.

Augustus Simon, Director, Indian Subcontinent, Saudi Tourism Authority said, “We have already begun outreach into the India tourism trade ecosystem and the response has been very positive. We are actively seeking opportunities to co-invest with partners who are keen to add Saudi as an exciting new destination in their portfolio.”

Ever since opening its borders to international tourism in September 2019, Saudi quickly established itself as the fastest growing tourism destination in the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

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The Office will be part of an integrated global network that will create a comprehensive digital infrastructure to inform and empower partners.

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Saudi Arabia launches its biggest travel campaign in China. Will Chinese tourists bite?

What happened

On November 17, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) landed in Shanghai to launch its biggest integrated travel campaign in China. Over 13,000 visitors flocked to the Bund to participate in the Saudi Souk Festival, a celebration of Saudi Arabia’s culture, heritage, and natural beauty, and enjoy live performances along the waterfront.

As part of the campaign, STA released a series of Saudi experience films on national TV and major tech platforms in China, such as Ctrip, Mafengwo, and Tencent, reaching hundreds of millions of viewers at home. The films give Chinese travelers a taste of what they can experience in Saudi Arabia, such as stargazing, snorkeling in the Red Sea, and riding in a hot-air balloon.

The STA also unveiled a series of how-to videos on its VisitSaudi.cn website to help Chinese audiences navigate Saudi Arabia with confidence, from wearing traditional attire to connecting to the internet at the airport.

“We are delighted to share the wonders of Saudi with our Chinese friends,” said Alhasan Aldabbagh, President of APAC Markets at the Saudi Tourism Authority. “We hope that this campaign will inspire them to discover our country … as well as foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the similarities between our two cultures, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations.”

The Jing Take

Indeed, there is a lot of synergy between China and Saudi Arabia. Building upon the Belt and Road Initiative, the two countries have been working to enhance connectivity through infrastructure development, commerce, and cultural exchanges. Travel plays a big role in this, with Saudi Arabia aiming to attract 3 million Chinese tourists annually by 2030 and generate 46 billion in tourism revenue in total.

So far, the kingdom has made steady progress toward this goal. In addition to achieving approved destination status (ADS) in September 2023, enabling Chinese citizens to enter the country through group tours, Saudi Arabia has rolled out key initiatives to facilitate movement: simplifying the visa process, offering integrated Chinese payment solutions, and launching more daily flights.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia has been garnering interest on Chinese social media. The country is featured on the latest season of a Chinese reality show called Divas Hit the Road (花儿与少年), where seven Chinese celebrities, including Dior ambassador Dilraba Dilmurat and Tory Burch ambassador Qin Lan, travel the world together on a tight budget. In the first few episodes, the group is seen trying local cuisine, karting in Boulevard Riyadh City, visiting Elephant Rock, and riding the Giant Swing in AlUla.

After the first episode aired on October 25, receiving 340 million views , there was a 772 percent increase in searches for “Saudi Arabia” month-on-month on online travel services provider Qunar. On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag “Divas Hit the Road Travel Guide” (#花少团旅行路书) has 15.9 million views, with netizens posting about their experiences copying the show’s itinerary. Meanwhile, the broader “Saudi Arabia” hashtag on Xiaohongshu has over 276 million views to date.

“Although the year is not over yet, my best destination has been decided: AlUla, Saudi Arabia!” wrote a Xiaohongshu user. “Before coming here, I had a stereotypical impression of Saudi Arabia; apart from wealth, it seemed to have nothing, and it was’'t considered a women-friendly country. However, after a five-day, four-night trip, I can't wait to recommend this hidden gem of a city to everyone around me.”

Clearly, Chinese tourists are adding emerging destinations to their bucket lists. And Saudi Arabia is ready to welcome them, all but rolling out the red carpet for their arrival.

The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Key Takeaways #

• Government Partnerships
• Legal Affairs
• Enterprise Project Management
• Strategy & Planning
• Tourism Data & Insights
• Uncategorized

Councils' & Committee Operations Specialist

Partnerships excellence section head, intellectual property director, legal domestic advisory assistant manager, portfolio planning & control manager, performance insights senior manager, strategic planning director, data engineering and architecture manager, insights innovation manager, market insights senior manager.

Saudi Tourism Authority Home Page

• Mediakit (PDF)

Saudi Red Sea Authority Achieving Tourism and Maritime Goals

Since its establishment on November 30, 2021, the Saudi Red Sea Authority (SRSA) has achieved qualitative leaps in the maritime and tourism activities for the Red Sea.

In line with goals of the Saudi Vision 2030, SRSA has embarked on a relentless endeavor that seeks to achieve its higher goals and strategic vision through a set of programs and plans.

This was indicated in the SRSA’s annual report for the year 2023, which listed the SRSA’s most prominent works and projects, including the approval of its Board of Directors of the sectoral and institutional coastal tourism strategy, including 6 goals, 24 performance measurement indicators, and 6 enablers, through which it aims to organize navigational and marine tourism activities within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ’s geographical scope and territorial waters on the Red Sea.

The most prominent tasks under the SRSA’s jurisdiction are the development of policies and strategies, the issuance of licenses and regulatory permits for navigational and marine tourism activities, while determining infrastructure requirements, developing a mechanism to protect the marine environment, attracting investment in navigational and marine tourism activities, and providing support to them, in addition to qualifying national competencies, determining the locations and routes for practicing these activities.

The report indicated that enhancing complementary roles among government agencies has been also among the major tasks of the SRSA as it led efforts with 19 public institutions that resulted in drafting the first map for tourism with the Kingdom geographical scope on the Red Sea.

The SRSA is also keen on incorporating environment protection as a constant pillar in all its work, as it is prerequisite to ensure the sustainability of marine life, and for future generations to enjoy healthy and prosperous natural resources. In order to preserve this marine treasure free from pollution and a home for diverse and thriving life, the SRSA has worked with the environmental system and relevant authorities to build a mechanism that ensures verification of environmental protection in the Red Sea.

The report also revealed the authority’s work and projects during the past year, which was a witness to its systematic work by developing a number of well-studied programs and plans that culminated in achieving a number of goals, the most prominent of which was the issuance of seven regulatory regulations, the first of their kind in the Kingdom in addition to granting the necessary licenses and permits to beneficiaries.

Regarding national initiatives, the authority worked during the same year on a number of national initiatives in alignment with 30 entities from the public and private sectors, through seven subcommittees with specific scopes of work and timelines to raise the readiness of coastal areas for tourism, and activate the implementation of mega projects, which resulted in a set of initiatives, including the organization, governance, and installation of mooring buoys, the marine waste management system, weather monitoring stations, regulations for marine activities, and improving the customer’s journey.

Regarding field visits, the report touched on raising the level of quality of customer service and maintaining a safe environment for yachts and visitors to the Red Sea, pointing out that the authority has carried out 14 field visits, which included to the city of Jeddah, Jazan, and Al-Lith for the purpose of granting licenses to operators of tourist marinas and tourist navigation agents, and providing the required technical, administrative, and advisory support to them. It identified and classified more than 3,200 tourist assets in The Red Sea is within the geographical scope of the Kingdom.

In accelerated steps, the report said that the SRSA has achieved speedy progress in the implementation of the targeted projects and activities for 2023, thanks to the endless support of the Kingdom’s leadership, which laid down the foundation of a comprehensive development and also to the complementary work of the public and private sectors in realization of the Saudi Vision 2030.

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