Saudi tourism banks on culture, heritage sites to draw Indian visitors

NEW DELHI: Saudi tourism authorities are prioritizing the promotion of cultural and heritage sites among travelers from India, as they set out to attract millions of Indian visitors in coming years.
Tourism is a booming sector in the Kingdom under its Vision 2030 diversification plan. A key part of the vision is to position Saudi Arabia as a dynamic, diverse, year-round tourism destination and market that will contribute 10 percent to gross domestic product by 2030.
In the past two years, India has emerged as Saudi Arabia’s key tourism source market, and the Saudi Tourism Authority expects it to become the largest one in the next few years.
Since February, the STA has been intensifying its promotional efforts across India with events showcasing the Kingdom’s historical sights and futuristic projects. It also signed a partnership agreement with the Indian Premier League, the world’s most-watched T20 cricket franchise, to tap into a strong sports fanbase for promotion.
“Our goal is to connect and build affinity between Indian visitors and Saudi, to increase awareness of the incredible destination and what we have to offer the Indian market,” Alhasan Al-Dabbagh, the STA’s chief for Asia Pacific, told Arab News earlier this week.
Initially, the agency is targeting tourists exploring cultural and heritage sites, which are rapidly increasing in number with archaeological works in full swing and development of leisure infrastructure.
“Saudi has rich cultural and historical sites. It is home to six UNESCO World Heritage sites and over 10,000 archaeological sites waiting to be discovered,” Al-Dabbagh said.
He gave as examples Jeddah’s Al-Balad old town; Diriyah, the original home of the Saudi royal family; and Al-Ula in the country’s northwest, a walled city founded in the sixth century B.C. on the historic incense route that linked India and the Gulf to the Levant and Europe.
The second target group is travelers from the “visiting friends and relatives,” or VFR, category. The latter accounts for 27 percent of visits, as about 2.5 million Indians live and work in the Kingdom.
“Last year, we welcomed 1 million Indian visitors who had the highest spent across all our source markets globally due to the VFR segment. This year our aim is to double our visitation numbers to 2 million,” Al-Dabbagh said.
“We have already welcomed 400,000 Indian travelers during the first quarter of this year and by 2030 our ambition is to reach over 12 million Indian visitors.”
The number of direct flights from India to Saudi Arabia will increase from the current 243 a week to 290 after Eid Al-Adha to attract visitors for summer vacations, he added.
“The Saudi Tourism Authority has officially launched its seasonal campaign, Rethink Summer, aimed at promoting the country as a diverse, unique summer destination,” Al-Dabbagh said.
“From the scenic mountains of Taif to the beaches in Jeddah and the coast of the Red Sea as well as a packed entertainment calendar, there is something for all visitors to enjoy.”
Promotional efforts and initiatives to ease access are already yielding results, with Indians showing more interest in Saudi Arabia.
“People are becoming aware of the opening of a new destination with easy access, and liberal policies with various branding and marketing aspects,” Travel Agents Association of India President Jyoti Maya told Arab News.
She said that heritage and culture are strong factors in tourism promotion, which was likely to have an appeal among Indians.
“A country which itself is rich in heritage and culture and has strong roots will intrigue its people to explore many more countries with such similar strong ties and traditions. Tourism is always about experiences, gaining knowledge, and learning,” Maya said.
“Saudi tourism promoting cultural sites would certainly boost tourism in the long run.”

Saudi tourism banks on culture, heritage sites to draw Indian visitors