Saudi a Tourism force to be beckoned with at Arabian Travel Market 2023

Dubai, UAE, 1 May 2023 – Saudi sets the pace at the 30^th edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), reinforcing its position as the tourism destination powerhouse of the region as the country continues to transform at a speed and scale the world has never witnessed before.

The most exciting opportunity in tourism today, Saudi kicks off its largest and most impressive presence at an international trade event to date, showcasing the strength, depth and breadth of the destination offering with 67 partners on the stand, showcasing more than 500 bookable experiences and packages to excite and inspire trade partners.

The stand will deliver exceptional cultural activations from around the country, bringing to life its rich culture and heritage, unique flavors and sounds and dynamic entertainment offering as one of the world’s last frontiers of tourism. Visitors will have the opportunity to embark on their own Saudi journey through an interactive exploration into its top destinations and resorts, from the stunning coastline of the Red Sea, the Great Arabian Dunes, to the ancient landmarks of AlUla and Diriyah.

Harnessing the very latest in technology, visitors can experience Makkah and Madinah through virtual reality and the history of Saudi through Diriyah’s five senses activation. The very best of Saudi culture will resonate through traditional dance performances from around the country. Not to be missed, the renowned Saudi café will be joined this year for the first time by an authentic Saudi ice-cream cart to tantalize the tastebuds.

The strength of this presence reflects the unrivalled scale of the transformation in Saudi as the world’s fastest growing tourism destination. With an extraordinary +121% increase from pre-pandemic international tourism levels, Saudi achieved 93.5 million visits in 2022 and is outpacing global tourism sector recovery as recognized by the UNWTO. As the world’s biggest investor in tourism, Saudi has committed $550bn to new destinations by 2030.

Saudi is a regional enabler and is facilitating collaboration and accelerating growth across the Middle East. The opportunities in the Middle East for initiatives like Nusuk, an integrated digital platform to facilitate seamless Umrah journeys are unmatched, transforming the experience for spiritual travelers and providing an opportunity like no other for partners. Launched in September 2022 by STA, Nusuk continues to gain momentum around the world, already hitting key milestones, and its presence will be further strengthened through its first participation at ATM 2023 with more than 20 partners.

Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board of Saudi Tourism Authority said: “Saudi is the biggest opportunity for businesses in tourism today.”

“Unrivalled in growth, we are on an accelerated journey to achieving our ambitious tourism vision. We continue to outpace and outperform, and our success is reflected in the numbers, exceeding both Umrah visit numbers and inbound in the first quarter of this year.”

“Saudi is a tourism destination like no other. From Diriyah, the 300-year-old city and birthplace of Saudi to the first hotel openings of Red Sea Global, the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development later this year, to the opening of NEOM’s Sindalah Island, these projects are no longer sketches on paper, they are the heart of the future of the country.”

“As we position Saudi on the global map as a diverse, unique, year-round destination, we will continue to build our dynamic entertainment and events offering. The last events season witnessed record-breaking numbers, Riyadh Season, MDLBEAST, F1, Jeddah Season and this summer promises to deliver an exceptional line-up of events and experiences.”

“We are committed to delivering a whole new experience for the adventurer, the explorer, the intrepid traveler, and our presence at ATM is an opportunity to celebrate the key milestones of Saudi’s tourism growth story and inspire our trade partners to join us in this journey.”

On-stand, visitors will hear from the STA CEO during Saudi Talks, in conversation with world leading partners Wego and Meeting Point International, on the collaborative environment that is delivering unprecedented levels of shared success.