Saudi Tourism: A Vibrant Showcase at ITB Berlin
Returning to ITB Berlin for its second year, Saudi is bringing its signature dynamicism to the Visit Saudi stand. This year’s stand brings more Saudi exhibitors than ever before to ITB, and a series of action-packed events and activities for visitors to experience. More than 55 partners will be exhibiting, including destination management companies, hotels, airlines and other government entities with visitors able to meet local sellers and get the latest information about Saudi’s booming tourism sector.
For the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), ITB Berlin is an opportunity to continue building knowledge around Saudi as one of the most dynamic and diverse year-round destinations in the world and showcase the unrivaled growth potential to partners across the tourism sector. STA’s goal is to use the event to build new partnerships and enhance stakeholder collaboration, facilitate investment initiatives and ultimately increase international visitors.
Saudi’s attendance at ITB Berlin comes just weeks after the Ministry of Tourism announced the country had hit the landmark milestone of more than 100 million tourists in 2023 – seven years ahead of schedule.
The major achievement, which saw around 27 million international and 79 million domestic visits, is a sure signal that Saudi is progressing well towards its ambition of achieving 150 million visits by 2030.
Last year’s growth was driven by a significant increase in the number of international visits, with nearly 11 million more inbound visits compared to 2022. The number of international visitors coming for leisure purposes was encouraging : 20% in 2023 compared to 15% in 2022 and 9% in 2021. VFR made up 23% and religious tourism 45% of all international arrivals last year.
On-stand experiences and #ShareYourSaudi
When visiting Saudi’s spectacular stand at ITB Berlin this year, visitors should take a few minutes to check out the exhibition of a selection of signed football jerseys from the Saudi Pro League, as well as the full-size F1 car complete with a virtual driving simulation of the Jeddah Grand-Prix circuit—a must-try for F1 fans.
Every day of the show, at regular intervals during the day, a group of Saudi dancers will perform a showcase of traditional regional dances for visitors.
A section of the stand is also dedicated to the National Center for Dates and Palms where visitors will be able to sample a tasty and diverse selection of the Saudi delicacies that are an iconic symbol of Arabian hospitality and the Saudi welcome. Expert Saudi hosts will also explain how to pair different type of dates with local coffee.
#ShareYourSaudi, is a dedicated area where all the footage and inspirational content captured by international travelers during recent trips to Saudi will be showcased on a digital screen.
The HoloCube is an immersive experience for visitors to step in, choose a background and/or famous celebrities and take a “real-life” picture with them.
Optimize your visit to the stand
Visit Saudi has designed a series of dedicated tools and online platforms to support commercial partners during ITB Berlin. Buyers and visitors will be able to learn about them on the stand.
The Saudi Map: Displayed at the entrance of the stand, this interactive map will show top destinations and attractions to visit in each of the regions of Saudi.
The Saudi Calendar: A digital planner showcasing all the events taking place in Saudi, when and how to book them.
The Directory: Displayed on digital screens around the stands in the Partners Zone, this is for those who didn’t get a chance to book a meeting in advance or just walked-in. The Directory will allow them to find the right partner and book a meeting with them straightaway.
The Arabian Gateway: This is a very comprehensive online platform that offers a series of tool-kits and all the information necessary to book a trip to Saudi. It includes information about eVisas, transports and connectivity (new flights and routes, trains, rented cars and taxis), as well as sample “inspirational” and “ready-to-use” itineraries and travel experiences.
More information about tourism in Saudi can be found here. Visitors to ITB Berlin can learn more and get firsthand information about the destination on the stand.
