DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is setting the pace at the 30th edition of Arabian Travel Market, reinforcing its position as the tourism destination powerhouse of the region as the country continues to transform at an unprecedented speed and scale.
The most exciting opportunity in tourism today, Saudi kicked off its largest and most impressive presence at an international trade event to date, showcasing the strength, depth and breadth of the destination offering with 67 partners on the stand and over 500 bookable experiences to inspire trade partners.
The stand will deliver exceptional cultural activations from around the country, bringing to life its rich culture and heritage, unique flavors and sounds, and dynamic entertainment offerings as one of the world’s last frontiers of tourism.
Visitors will have the opportunity to embark on their own Saudi journey through an interactive exploration of its top destinations and resorts, from the stunning coastline of the Red Sea and the Great Arabian Dunes to the ancient landmarks of AlUla and Diriyah.
Harnessing the very latest in technology, visitors can experience Makkah and Madinah through virtual reality and the history of Saudi through Diriyah’s five-senses activation. The very best of Saudi culture will resonate through traditional dance performances from around the country.
The strength of this presence reflects the unrivaled scale of the transformation in Saudi as the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination.
With an extraordinary 121 percent increase from pre-pandemic international tourism levels, Saudi achieved 93.5 million visits in 2022 and is outpacing global tourism sector recovery as recognized by the UN World Tourism Organization. As the world’s biggest investor in tourism, Saudi has committed $550 billion to new destinations by 2030.
Saudi is a regional enabler and is facilitating collaboration and accelerating growth across the Middle East. The opportunities in the Middle East for initiatives like Nusuk, an integrated digital platform to facilitate seamless Umrah journeys, are unmatched, transforming the experience for spiritual travelers and providing an opportunity like no other for partners.
Launched in September 2022 by STA, Nusuk continues to gain momentum around the world, already hitting key milestones, and its presence will be further strengthened through its first participation at ATM 2023 with more than 20 partners.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Saudi Tourism Authority board member, said: “Saudi is the biggest opportunity for businesses in tourism today.
“Unrivalled in growth, we are on an accelerated journey to achieving our ambitious tourism vision. We continue to outpace and outperform, and our success is reflected in the numbers, exceeding both Umrah visit numbers and inbound in the first quarter of this year.
“Saudi is a tourism destination like no other. From Diriyah, the 300-year-old city and birthplace of Saudi, to the first hotel openings of Red Sea Global, the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development later this year, to the opening of NEOM’s Sindalah Island, these projects are no longer sketches on paper — they are the heart of the future of the country.
“As we position Saudi on the global map as a diverse, unique, year-round destination, we will continue to build our dynamic entertainment and events offering. The last events season witnessed record-breaking numbers…and this summer promises to deliver an exceptional line-up of events and experiences.
“We are committed to delivering a whole new experience for the adventurer, the explorer, the intrepid traveler, and our presence at ATM is an opportunity to celebrate the key milestones of Saudi’s tourism growth story and inspire our trade partners to join us in this journey.”
On-stand, visitors will hear from the STA CEO during Saudi Talks, in conversation with world-leading partners Wego and Meeting Point International, on the collaborative environment that is delivering unprecedented levels of shared success.
