Saudi invites visitors to discover the delightfully unexpected at ITB Berlin 2024
Saudi’s dynamic tourism offering is dispelling misconceptions and treating visitors to a range of diverse destinations, activities, and experiences
ADVERTORIAL
Saudi is so much more than “just a desert”. Thanks to its welcoming and open culture, abundant historical and heritage sites, pristine natural environment, and array of sports and entertainment events, it is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world.
Celebrating culture
Saudi offers a bustling cultural scene that boasts no fewer than seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historical Al Balad quarter in Jeddah, Saudi’s coastal cosmopolitan hub. Home to a diverse calendar of cultural events, Jeddah’s ancient coral stone houses are being restored while new galleries, restaurants, luxury shops, and cafes are emerging to create a buzzing cultural scene.
Travellers can also embrace Saudi culture at the Ushaiger Heritage Village in the heart of the Najd region to get a glimpse into traditional Saudi life, or take in Al Ahsa, the world’s largest oasis with 2.5m palm trees.
In addition, Saudi prides itself on its over 10,000 archeological sites. Diriyah is a 300-year-old site centred around At-Turaif, which is considered to be the birthplace of the Saudi state. The ancient city of AlUla is an an open-air museum offering history and natural heritage. Hegra’s tombs house evidence of human life that dates beyond the 1st millennium BC.
Diverse landscapes and boundless activities
Stunning natural landscapes span mountains, deserts, and the sea, offering visitors diverse experiences such as hiking, diving, and desert safaris, and an excellent escape from European winters. With a 1,800km-long coastline, Saudi is home to rolling desert dunes, cool and lush green highlands, as well as the pristine waters of the Red Sea.
Saudi is one of the region’s emerging cultural, sports, and entertainment hubs with world-class events throughout the year, including the F1 circuit in Jeddah, the Diriyah E-Prix, the Red Sea Film Festival, the MDL Beast Festival, the Riyadh Season, the Saudi Cup, the Dakar Rally, and the Gamers8 gaming and esports event.
Welcoming Everyone
Saudi is promoting itself as a warm and welcoming destination for everyone, including female travelers. With the Vision 2030 plan driving transformation, the destination has a dynamic society that enables all of its citizens to achieve their aspirations, and the empowerment of women is a major part of that. Saudi is also a very safe place to visit with a low crime rate, and was recently ranked by the World Economic Forum as the 33rd safest country in the world.
With connections to over 20 regional and international airports and an eVisa programme that includes 63 countries, it is now easier than ever to visit Saudi.
“Go Beyond What You Think” Campaign with Lionel Messi
Earlier this year, Saudi’s national tourism brand, “Saudi Welcome To Arabia,” kicked off a global marketing campaign featuring football legend and Saudi Tourism Ambassador, Lionel Messi. The “Go Beyond What You Think” campaign is the Saudi Tourism Authority’s farthest reaching campaign to date. Launching across key target markets in Europe, India, and China, the campaign is anchored on consumer insights and celebrates trailblazing Saudi women including the Women’s National football team, motorsport athlete Dania Akeel, DJ Cosmicat, and Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi woman in space.
“Go Beyond What You Think” invites audiences to experience the incredible and vibrant cultural transformation taking place across Saudi and builds on the sentiment of the UN Tourism, “Tourism Opens Minds” Initiative that launched on World Tourism Day in Riyadh in September 2023. The campaign also includes an interactive digital component, where previous visitors to Saudi and Saudi residents are encouraged to share positive experiences on social media using the hashtag #ShareYourSaudi.
