RIYADH: The Saudi Tourism Authority has completed a successful three days at ITB Berlin, the world’s largest trade fair for the industry.
Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Saudi minister of tourism and chairman of the authority’s board of directors, opened the Saudi pavilion at the fair, which received a number of presidents, ministers, leaders, and other key officials.
Al-Khateeb also met officials of major commercial bodies such as TUI Group and FTI Consulting, in addition to leaders of the UN World Tourism Organization and the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Saudi Arabia signed international strategic agreements with prominent brands, such as Expedia, FTI, DER Touristik, Hotel Beds, and Lufthansa City Center. (SPA)
The Saudi pavilion grabbed the limelight with the largest space in the forum, and its interactive content.
The Kingdom signed international strategic agreements with bodies including the UNWTO, Expedia Group, FTI Consulting, DER Touristik, Hotelbeds, and Lufthansa City Center.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and STA board member, said: “Saudi tourism achieved remarkable successes through the Berlin fair, which strengthened the Kingdom’s position on the global tourism map, and opened horizons of cooperation to enable partners from inside and outside the Kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia signed international strategic agreements with prominent brands, such as Expedia, FTI, DER Touristik, Hotel Beds, and Lufthansa City Center. (SPA)
He stressed the importance of strategic partnerships and the enthusiasm of the German and European tourism sectors to cooperate with Saudi partners.
Markus Orth, managing director at Lufthansa City Center, said: “We are looking forward to strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia, this new and wonderful tourist destination.
“It is working towards a sustainable future for the tourism sector with its unique destinations, historical and cultural sites.”
Saudi Arabia recorded 93.5 million visits in 2022 and aims to reach 100 million visitors annually by 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Kingdom is the largest investor in the world in the tourism sector, and has allocated $550 billion for new destinations to receive visitors by 2030, the SPA added.
