Saudi Arabia spends nearly 8 percent of its gross domestic product on education. It is about twice the amount allocated by other Gulf Cooperation Council nations and developed countries.

Amid shifting generational demands, economic crises, a surge of new technologies and social media influencers teaching us how to travel, tourism destinations are drastically transforming.

When I first visited the Kingdom five years ago, I was completely bowled over by the natural assets and the physical beauty of the country.

The mountains, the beaches, the pristine marine life, the people, the preserved heritage sites, the sceneries and so on.

China is not only the biggest travel market in the world but also one of the biggest spenders globally.

At its peak in 2019, China had an estimated 155 million tourists traveling abroad, three times as many as it had in 2010, and they were spending $255 billion abroad.

This year has been painful for global stock market investors, but the last few weeks have been especially difficult after several giant US retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Gap and Dick’s Sporting Goods all warned of a significant slowdown in consumer spending.