Tag Archives: Saudi tourism

flynas launched its first direct flight between Jeddah and Berlin aligning with flynas growth and expansion plan under the slogan “We connect the world to the Kingdom”, in partnership with Air Connectivity Program (ACP), with support of Saudi Tourism Authority (STA). The new Berlin-Jeddah route, launched in partnership with the Air Connectivity Program (ACP), will offer three weekly flights from King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) in Jeddah to Berlin International Airport (BER). An inaugural ceremony was held at King Abdulaziz International Airport in the presence of representatives from flynas, Jeddah Airports Company (JEDCO), the ACP, and Consulate General of Germany in Jeddah. On the other side, the maiden flight was welcomed Berlin Brandenburg Airport with a reception ceremony in the presence of representatives from ACP, Berlin airport. On the next day, September 5, flynas organized a ceremony on this occasion in Berlin that was attended by and stakeholders of flynas in Germany. This Expansion in the European market is in line with flynas growth and expansion plan, launched under the slogan “We connect the world to the Kingdom”, and in parallel with the National Civil Aviation Strategy to enable national air carriers to contribute to connecting KSA with 250 International destinations and to accommodate 330 million passengers and to host 100 million tourists yearly by 2030 and the objectives of the Pilgrims Experience Program (PEP) to facilitate access to the Two Holy Mosques. The CEO of Jeddah Airports, Engineer Mazen Johar, said “the launch of the first flynas flights between the German Capital “Berlin” and King Abdulaziz international airport in Jeddah supports Jeddah Airports Company’s strategy of increasing the number of destinations connected to King Abdulaziz International Airport . This …

Her Highness Princess Haifa Mohammed Al Saud, Vice Minister of Tourism, has initiated the largest programmatic and institutional accreditation initiative. This effort is designed to enhance the quality of tourism education and training, aiming to improve the efficiency of education and training outcomes in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and better connect them to the labor market. HH emphasized that since its inception, the Ministry has been dedicated to enhancing the educational and training programs and aligning their outcomes with the needs of the current and future labor market. She noted that the launch of this substantial initiative marks a critical step towards ensuring the success of these efforts. HH also detailed that this initiative, the largest worldwide, involves assessing the quality of 102 national tourism education and training programs throughout 2024. This assessment will be conducted in partnership with 3 organizations to measure the quality of tourism programs: UN Tourism, the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation. The goal of the initiative is to enable tourism education and training institutions supported by the Ministry of Tourism to earn both international and local accreditations and professional certificates. The initiative aims to accomplish various short- and long-term objectives. These include 31 tourism education and training programs and institutions receiving national and international accreditation by 2024, 200 trainers and educational and administrative staff earning professional certificates to deliver new tourism programs developed by the Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization for the year 2024, and 37 Ministry of Tourism employees obtaining professional certification to manage tourism programs. Additionally, by 2025, the initiative targets 27 tourism education and training programs and institutions to achieve …

Saudi’s national tourism brand ‘Saudi Welcome To Arabia’ has kicked off another global marketing campaign featuring football legend and Saudi Tourism Ambassador, Lionel Messi. Launching across key target markets in Europe, India and China, the “Go Beyond What You Think” campaign is anchored on consumer insights, which revealed there are still common misconceptions about the destination, and invites audiences to experience the incredible and vibrant cultural transformation taking place across Saudi. Those that know Saudi are encouraged to share positive experiences and memories on TikTok and social channels using the bi-lingual hashtags #ShareYourSaudi and in Arabic #السعودية_بعيونك,. The latest ‘Saudi Welcome to Arabia’ brand campaign is a combination of TV, Social, Digital, and OTA tactics activated over a three-month period. It is the latest in a series of initiatives by Saudi Tourism to foster broadening of perspectives, and bridging cultures through tourism. The campaign brings to life the UN Tourism, ‘Tourism Opens Minds’ Initiative that launched on World Tourism Day in Riyadh in September 2023, which extends a compelling invitation for travelers to broaden horizons and explore uncharted corners of the world. Governments and industry were presented with a special pledge, calling on them to promote new and under-appreciated destinations while consumers pledged to ‘be open-minded to new cultures and destinations, holding an open heart while travelling’ Lionel Messi is one of many leading international figures who took that pledge. Messi has a fond connection with Saudi being a frequent visitor to the country, including most recently with his wife, Antonella and their two children last Spring. Both Messi and his family have expressed delight in their Saudi experiences and a desire to continue visiting the country. Boldly addressing these …

Minister of Tourism Kingdom of Saudi Arabia HE Ahmed Al-Khateeb shared that Saudi Arabia aspires to attract 150 million visitors by 2030 and that tourism sector will contribute SR750 billion to the national economy. The minister made the remarks while addressing the Real Estate Future Forum in Riyadh on Monday. “We have the vision and plans to provide infrastructure and services and everything that tourists are looking for. Saudi Arabia will become one of the most important countries in the world in the tourism and travel sector after the completion of infrastructure projects,” he said while noting that Saudi Arabia is keen on ensuring involvement of the Saudi human element in the tourism sector, and there is a huge demand by the sons and daughters of the country to work in this sector. According to the Saudi Gazette, Al-Khateeb congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for the recovery achieved by Saudi Arabia in the number of tourist arrivals during the year 2023 by 156 percent, compared to the year 2019, exceeding the global rate of recovery from the effects of the pandemic by 88 percent. The minister noted that the successes achieved in the tourism sector confirm that the strategies and plans that were developed are now proceeding correctly. Last year the sector’s contribution increased to 4.5 percent of GDP, and seven percent of non-oil GDP. “We created many jobs in the tourism sector, indicating that the state’s expansion in establishing major projects was with the aim of developing the tourism sector and attracting investments to it, and competing for the 1.7 billion tourists in the world looking …

Almosafer revealed in its data insights collated from across the company’s consumer platforms during 2023, that over 40% of the total booking share comes from the domestic sector, with 83% of local travellers showing a preference for luxury accommodation options. The new domestic travel trends report was released by Almosafer during the 2024 Saudi Tourism Forum held in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s leading travel company (part of Seera Group), further revealed that Saudi travellers are showing a strong appetite for the diverse range of tourism offerings within the country, leading to impressive gains for the domestic tourism sector in 2023. With the average length of stay being two nights, the overall number of room nights for hotels have seen a 22% year on year growth in 2023 compared to 2022. A key player in the travel and tourism industry in the Kingdom, Almosafer is accelerating efforts to boost domestic tourism and promote Saudi Arabia as one of the top travel destinations in the region by facilitating unforgettable journeys and creating seamless travel experiences for consumers across its business and consumer portals. This is in line with Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030 that aims to attract 150 million tourists annually by the start of the next decade, with half of its tourism demand to come from domestic travel. The new trends report has further highlighted that among the top growing destinations in the Kingdom, AlUla is the preferred luxury option, Jazan and Tabuk are winter favourites and Abha is a popular destination for families to spend the summer break. Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Makkah & Madinah remain the most popular destinations in terms of room nights sold. The booking behaviour of Saudi …

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) has obtained a Welcome Chinese Certification, the first in the Kingdom and the MENA region. The accreditation reflects how Riyadh Airports Company (RAC) is meeting Chinese passengers’ needs in KKIA’s terminals and facilities, offering a seamless travel experience, and strengthens its relationship with the Chinese market, one of the biggest markets in Asia and the world. The certificate was obtained as RAC achieved standards and requirements issued by the China Tourism Academy (CTA) and Select Holding Ltd. It affirms Riyadh Airports’ competency in studying and assessing passengers’ needs and providing an exceptional experience. The Welcome Chinese Certification positively reflects on Riyadh Airport as KKIA is already reaping the benefits of marketing and promotional services in the Chinese travel industry. It contributes to enhancing the national economy through business partnerships in the Saudi-Chinese market and attracting tourists and businesses, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom Vision 2030 in the business, tourism, and industrial sectors. Mr. Musad bin Abdulaziz Al-Daood, CEO of Riyadh Airports said: “This unprecedented achievement cements Saudi-Chinese relations and represents a connection to one of the most important tourism markets in Asia. It will also reflect on Saudi tourism, which is a national economic mainstay, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom Vision 2030.” The Chairman of the China Tourism Academy, Mr. Bin Dai commented: “Congratulations to King Khalid International Airport for becoming a new member of Welcome Chinese! This signifies greater recognition from Chinese tourists and an increased influence on international tourism. We look forward to an enhanced experience at Riyadh Airport and to higher-quality tourism in Saudi Arabia!” RAC, which manages and operates KKIA, had started to work …

Cruise Saudi  is committed to creating 50,000 direct and indirect jobs in Saudi by 2035, which will benefit the local workforce. In line with this, Cruise Saudi was keen to participate in the Ministry of Tourism’s first two-day Tourism Job Fair, with the aim of recruiting Saudi talents in the rapidly growing cruise tourism sector. Cruise Saudi Chief Human Capital Officer Ayman AlGhamdi said: “As we are developing a new industry that supports the Saudi Tourism sector, we believe in investing in the local community and its cadres. With a Saudization rate of 71 per cent, we are proud of our local talents who have proven their capabilities, qualifications and fast development in a wide range of cruise related fields.” Additionally, Cruise Saudi has outperformed the female employment goals outlined in Vision 2030, with their participation in the workforce now reaching 32 per cent, ahead of the 2030 target of 30 per cent. Saudi tourism is currently undergoing a massive transformation with a focus on long-term, sustainable growth. Under plans set out in Vision 2030, tourism will become an important tributary for national economy. Deputy Minister of Tourism Human Capabilities Development Mohamed Bushnaq said: “This forum comes at a pivotal moment, as Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is undergoing substantial development. Having transformed into a regulated industry backed by regulations, systems, projects, and programs, it is striving to become one of the most important pillars of Saudi Vision 2030. The ultimate aim is to contribute to the diversification and prosperity of the national economy. “We are here today, steadfastly continuing our journey to provide more opportunities for this generous nation by launching the first tourism employment forum both in-person and through …

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) officially launched ‘Rethink Summer’, its seasonal campaign aimed at promoting Saudi as a diverse, unique summer destination for adventurers and explorers from within Saudi and abroad. As part of the campaign launch, for the first time and in its efforts to empower and enable the private sector, STA brought together key partners within the governmental, private, and tourism ecosystem at an official event held in Riyadh. The briefing event was an exclusive preview into the campaign, the key destinations, events and experiences being showcased and a call-to-action for trade partners to further enhance and strengthen the country’s product offering through their own promotions and offers. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, Chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority said: “Saudi is the fastest growing destination worldwide today, with a proven capacity to host visitors from the world over, yearlong. Building on this, we are pleased to launch the ‘Rethink Summer’ campaign to share the beautiful diversity of Saudi with the world, from the cool, green highlands, to the coasts of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. Entertainment events will be special and for everyone. Our partners in the private sector are instrumental in this campaign, offering over 1.8 million additional seats for inbound flights, more than 15 thousand new hotel rooms, and over 100 products tailored to meet the taste of all our visitors this summer. This is the largest contribution of the private sector yet.” The destination is set to hit significant milestones this year, from the opening of the first three resorts at The Red Sea, the world’s most ambitious, regenerative, luxury tourism development to Sindalah Island, NEOM’s incomparable island destination. Diriyah, the …

Al Rostamani Travel and Holidays and the Saudi Tourism Authority are excited to announce a new strategic partnership. This cooperative endeavour focuses on promoting tourism in Saudi Arabia to UAE residents. Under this agreement, Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority will work together to showcase the natural wonders, cultural heritage, and unmatched hospitality of Saudi Arabia to travelers from the UAE. The goal is to create unparalleled travel experiences, fostering deeper connections and understanding between the two nations. The partnership aims to offer UAE travelers the chance to immerse themselves in Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes, including the awe-inspiring rock formations of Al Ula, the bustling streets of Riyadh, the tranquil Red Sea coast, and the breathtaking archaeological marvels of Madain Saleh. Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority are committed to providing seamless travel experiences that exceed expectations with tailor-made itineraries, curated tours, and exceptional customer service. Bimal Jain, General Manager of Al Rostamani Travel and Holidays, and Khalid Khan, GCC Trade Director for the Saudi Tourism Authority, officially signed the agreement at the Arabian Travel Market event. Expressing gratitude for the trust placed in Al Rostamani Travel, the organization acknowledges the significance of this partnership in supporting Saudi Arabia’s vision to establish itself as a leading global tourism destination. By leveraging their expertise and resources, both entities will work towards raising awareness about the incredible tourism offerings of Saudi Arabia and inviting UAE travelers to embark on unforgettable journeys. As this collaboration unfolds, the public can look forward to more exciting updates and initiatives to showcase the wonders of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry. Al Rostamani Travel and the Saudi Tourism Authority are determined to create memorable …

In an effort to launch joint activation campaigns, offer appealing deals, and design captivating experiences to showcase Saudi Arabia as a top tourism destination worldwide and in the region, Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh and the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The partnership will involve the sharing of insights, ideas, and experiences. The MoU falls in line with the hotel chain’s endeavours to collaborate with the Saudi tourism entity to achieve mutual goals and support efforts aimed at establishing Saudi Arabia as a premier destination in the region. “The Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh is delighted to conclude such an agreement with STA’s Middle East and Africa Business sector, with the hopes of forming a prosperous collaboration to promote Saudi tourism, lure tourists from nearby markets, and offer a tourism experience that rises up to what the Kingdom’s guests expect from the leading, globally renowned hospitality brand, the Four Seasons Hotel” said Swen Ehlender, Director of Marketing for Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh. “This agreement emphasizes once more STA’s keenness to sign partnerships with leading companies and global hotel chains to attract tourists from markets in the region and fulfil the aspirations of visitors who come seeking the world’s finest hotels,” said Abdulkarim Aldarwish, STA’s President of Middle East & Africa Markets. The MoU was signed at Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at the Arabian Travel Market 2023 held in Dubai by Swen Ehlender, Director of Marketing for Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, and Munirah Abanomy, Head of Marketing Partnership for Middle East and Africa.