Saudi showcases luxury offering to exclusive network in Cannes

Saudi, the authentic home of Arabia, has showcased the scale of the destination’s luxury offering for the first time at flagship travel event, ILTM Cannes.Representing Saudi at the most iconic luxury event in the annual tourism calendar were key partners from across the local ecosystem, building relationships and developing partnerships with some of the world’s most influential luxury travel trade.Saudi is an alluring destination for the world’s discerning travelers, offering unique experiences and the opportunity to explore places that many have yet to see. As the sanctuary of authentic Arabian culture and heritage, experiences range from glamping in the great Arabian Dunes to cruising the pristine Red Sea to indulging your senses at AlUla’s five-star boutique hotels.“Saudi is a young tourism destination, and part of our leisure luxury offering is the exclusivity of an unexplored destination, strengthened by our emphasis on regenerative tourism for travellers wanting to discover and do good,” said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO at Saudi Tourism Authority.“Over the last three days, we have seen extraordinary interest in the destination from luxury travel trade from the U.S., Europe and Asia with awareness of Saudi transpiring into commitments to drive visitation to the country.”Visitors to the stand experienced the warmth of Saudi hospitality first-hand, with Saudi students from Europe present on the stand to bring to life the core of the Saudi offering.“It has been an amazing opportunity to represent my country and the fast-growing tourism industry in Saudi,” said Turki AlShalawi, hospitality masters student at Glion Institute in Switzerland.“The interaction on the stand with event attendees has been so inspiring, with positive feedback, genuine curiosity and a strong desire to know more about Saudi’s culture and the country’s tourism ambition for the future.”Visitors to the Saudi stand also expressed their interest in the destination, “I am very excited and absolutely thrilled to see that Saudi is opening up to the world, and we can’t wait to experience it,” commented one event attendee. Despite the challenge of the pandemic, Saudi’s tourism sector has witnessed strong growth over the past eighteen months. Domestic tourism in the country saw a 96% increase in travel following extensive investment, the development of exciting new tourism offers and the attraction of new DMCs to the market.As the country rolls out a comprehensive program of lifestyle and entertainment events, the focus is now on converting the significant market interest into tangible visitor numbers. Saudi’s interactive stand at ILTM Cannes captured the imagination of event attendees and travel trade professionals by immersing them in the flavours, sights and sounds of Saudi. Find out more about STA’s participation at this year’s ILTM and the range of experiences available to tourists in Saudi at: ILTM Cannes Visit Saudi.