Among the actions to be developed by appointed Tourism Hub in the coming months, are those dedicated to the training of travel agents, active collaboration from a commercial point of view with tour operators to develop and expand tourist products, and the launch of marketing and communication campaigns to increase brand awareness of the destination among the general public.

Saudi Arabia, which opened its doors to tourism in 2019, immediately emerged as a destination with numerous tourist attractions that go far beyond its rich cultural heritage where tradition and modernity coexist. Visiting the ancient Nabatean city of Hegra in the heart of the AlUla desert, immersing in the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, and then traveling along the coasts of the Red Sea… Saudi Arabia is a destination ready to be discovered.

Over the past 2 years, Tourism Hub has made notable progress in the Italian market with a focused business-to-business strategy for Saudi Arabia.

They have developed relationships and collaborations within the Italian tourism industry, working closely with tour operators and travel agencies, playing a role as facilitator for product development and thus obtaining exceptional results on the business development front.

It offers highly personalized strategies and skills so that partners have access to all the resources and support necessary to successfully promote and sell the tourist destination represented explained Susann Kern, Country Manager for Italy of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Susann Kern - image courtesy of tourismhub — Susann Kern – image courtesy of tourismhub

Saudi Arabia, since this author’s first trip in 2021, continues to excite. The combination of traditions and vision for the future, Saudi hospitality, and the kindness of its people is a continuous discovery of hidden treasures.

Now is the time to focus on producing strategic marketing and communications campaigns, enriching the destination’s product offerings and building even stronger relationships with its partners.

New Tourism Segments

Among the strengths of the country’s tourism proposal, in addition to cultural heritage, stands out the offer of “emerging services and new tourism segments such as that linked to well-being, underlined minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, adding, “Wellness tourism is today very limited and represents around 1% of the total market, but it is growing at double digits, and, therefore, we expect this market to soon become very interesting.”

There is also room for sustainability in future development plans. “Today, in the travel and tourism sector, we must ensure that everything we build, everything we promote is sustainable. Sustainability concerns the environment, society, and the economy,” concluded the Minister.

Saudi Arabia expects international arrivals to double by 2032 mainly thanks to the expansion of the middle class in India and China.