DUBAI, 20 May 2021: Saudi Arabian tourism buoyed by domestic demand prepares to welcome foreign tourists as part of its ambitious Vision 2030 master plan.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism leaders attending the ATM 2021 Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit on Tuesday identified tourism as a key economic driver that would have positive repercussions for the country, its people, investors and millions of global travellers.
Addressing a capacity crowd at the in-person ATM 2021, the region’s largest travel and tourism showcase, were Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority, Majed Alnefaie, acting CEO of Seera, Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Dr Afnan Al Shuaiby, Founder and CEO of FNN International and Chair of the Arab International Women’s Forum.
The audience heard how Saudi Arabia is preparing to reopen its borders for foreign tourists and is well on its way to realising its targetted 100 million tourists per year outlined in Vision 2030.
Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin discussed the Kingdom’s response to the coronavirus pandemic that closed down global tourism just months after the country opened up to international tourism in September 2019.
“While the travel and tourism sector was paralysed globally, Saudi Arabia kept moving. Although the priority was to save lives, we were also committed to protecting livelihoods and saving jobs through our successful domestic tourism campaign, which resulted in a 33% increase in spending, hotel occupancy was at 50%, and the number of Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) within the Kingdom increased from 17 to 93.”
The domestic market’s strength was underscored in 2020 and Q1 2021, with Saudia operating 28 domestic airports at close to 80% of their 2019 levels. The numbers are expected to pick up even further with the recent resumption of international travel for residents and citizens and the operation of the new King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), now regional hub.
Discussing the outlook for the national airline, CEO Captain Ibrahim Koshy said: “There are many things taking place in Saudi Arabia that will accelerate a return to profit for the airline. We will come out leaner and stronger as a business, with expected profitability in 2024, if not earlier, as the potential markets for the Kingdom continue to grow at a fast pace.”
The second session of the ATM Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit explored the “giga-project effect”, from developments that preserve and promote the Kingdom’s heritage, culture and natural assets to theme parks, futuristic cities in the desert and luxury resorts with a strong focus on sustainability.
“This was a great opportunity for panellists to reveal how the country is setting new global industry benchmarks and for the travel trade industry to meet the business leaders playing a pivotal role in delivering Vision 2030 by spearheading ambitious projects that will set Saudi Arabia apart,” said Arabian Travel Market exhibition director ME, Danielle Curtis.
The ATM 2021 Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit continues next week (Monday 24 May) during ATM Virtual.
