Saudi Arabia is making a significant impact at the ITB Berlin Convention, the premier event for the global tourism industry. With the ‘Visit Saudi’ Pavilion, the Kingdom is proudly displaying its tourism credentials, featuring over 55 participants that range from noteworthy attractions to tour organizers and hospitality providers.
The Kingdom is seizing this opportunity to reinforce its status as a leading destination in the international tourism arena, while also celebrating its impressive growth and achievements within the sector. The event also serves as a platform for Saudi Arabia to establish and strengthen communication with potential partners and to forge pivotal agreements and alliances.
The pavilion launched on Tuesday and over the three-day event, ‘Visit Saudi’ is presenting a plethora of tourism products ready for booking, highlighting mesmerizing locales such as Jeddah, Al-Ula, and the Red Sea. Visitors to the pavilion can explore the rich cultural heritage, diverse natural landscapes, and an extensive selection of travel packages. Additionally, the pavilion promotes a robust calendar of international events that the country hosts annually.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, shared that the Kingdom’s involvement in the ITB Berlin aims to cement its leadership in global tourism. Al-Khateeb expressed the Kingdom’s dedication to boosting the collective efforts of the Saudi tourism infrastructure, working closely with both governmental and private sector partners to foster ongoing expansion, advancement, and sustainability of the tourism industry.
Representing the Saudi delegation, Al Khateeb took pride in the tourism sector’s achievement of one of its primary goals under Saudi Vision 2030—welcoming 100 million visitors a year, a target reached seven years earlier than anticipated. This success has spurred new ambitions to attract 150 million tourists annually by the year 2030.
The Saudi tourism sector has seen a swift ascent, with inbound tourist numbers in 2023 showing a 56 percent increase from 2019. The Kingdom currently boasts connections to 36 European cities and plans to introduce over 10 new flight routes in 2024 due to growing strategic partnerships with leading global airlines.