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Saudi Arabia’s stand at the recently concluded Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai hosted more than 40,000 visitors over four days to experience the sights, smells and sounds of the world’s fastest growing travel destination.
Saudi Arabia is driving tourism on a regional and global level, bringing together the strength, breadth and depth of the country’s travel offerings with 67 partners to ATM, showcasing more than 500 bookable packages and experiences. The partners on the stand are the heroes of the event, highlighting the diversity of the destination and bringing to life the culture and beauty of an entire country.
The stand is a world-class sensory journey through Arabia, showcasing the country’s rich culture and heritage, and offering a range of interactive immersive experiences, from Saudi virtual reality headsets in Mecca and Medina to live Arabian Calligraphy and traditional culture dances from different provinces across the country.
The event reflects the country’s inspiring journey of transformation and is a true celebration of partnership, collaboration and commitment.
His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai, visited the Saudi stand, a gathering place for business activities, exceeding the target by more than 140%, Key partners include travel agencies, tour operators, OTAs and airlines.
A record 53 agreements were signed at the Saudi stand with key international and regional partners such as ODIGEO, Visa, Saber Travel, Careem, Almosafer, Travelport and FTI. Signed partnerships focus on making contributions beyond commitments, more on long-term strategic focus on access, experience and development of DMC, data sharing and analysis, technical connections and ambassador creation.
The destination is realizing its tourism ambitions with projects including the Red Sea project, the world’s most ambitious sustainable luxury tourism development, the 300-year-old mud city and Diriyah, the birthplace of Saudi Arabia, and NEOM’s unrivaled island destination Sindra Island.
Divers and cruise ships alike can enjoy Saudi Arabia’s rich and varied landscapes, from the UNESCO-listed al-Hasa oasis to the pristine coral reefs along the kingdom’s 1,700-kilometer-long Red Sea coast, with liners enjoying year-round and The first of 16 luxury hotels will open later this year. Saudi Arabia also offers the cool, green Asir Highlands, where locals spend their summer holidays.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and board member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, said: “Saudi Arabia returns this year to ATM, one of the world’s leading tourism events, to share the story of the country’s transformation and growth , inspiring and transforming trade and cementing the destination’s position as a tourism powerhouse for the region.
“We’ve seen unprecedented success at ATM, with a record number of partners joining our booth, demonstrating more bookable packages and experiences, exceeding targets in terms of commercial engagement, and partnering through MOU signings and deal pairs Partners made the biggest commitment ever.
“Our success depends on the success of our partners and we will continue to develop trade and consumer experiences to drive business and growth. Saudi Arabia represents a wealth of untapped opportunity and unparalleled growth, and it is our role to help our partners Invest in a shared future.
“Saudi Arabia has witnessed unprecedented growth, surpassing Umrah and visits in the first quarter of this year, and with a host of new openings, experiences and a vibrant lineup of events and entertainment, this is an opportunity not to be missed.”
Nusuk, the Saudi Tourism Authority’s comprehensive digital platform to facilitate seamless umrah journeys launched last September, had an impressive debut at the ATM showcase with more than 20 partners on the stand.
The STA CEO was on the stand with partners Wego CEO and Co-Founder Ross Veitch and Meeting Point International CEO David Loiseau for a TED-Talk discussion on how Saudi Arabia can bring the best business opportunities for the tourism industry and A collaborative environment that facilitates its success.
Fatima Al Sairafi, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdulla Al Saleh, Deputy Minister of the Government of the UAE, and Salem bin Mohammed Al Mahrooqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism of Oman, joined Hamidaddin in a panel discussion titled ‘The Future of Tourism in the GCC’ highlighting the region key opportunities for collaboration, innovation and maintaining the authenticity of traditional values. From visas to infrastructure, the panelists discussed how GCC countries can work together so everyone can benefit from the region’s tourism boom.
Saudi Arabia continues to enjoy investment from the industry giants, with more than $1 trillion in real estate and infrastructure projects under development or in the pipeline, pointing to confidence in the upward trend in Saudi tourism.
This year’s ATM Show coincides with global soccer icon Lionel Messi’s family visit to Saudi Arabia for an exciting two-day tour in the country’s capital, Riyadh. – trade arab news agency
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