Tag Archives: Saudi Tourism Authority (STA).

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has successfully concluded its first roadshow in Beijing with 13 partners including DMCs, hoteliers and airline partners in attendance. The roadshow celebrated key milestones for Saudi’s tourism growth story and showcased the country’s rich cultural and heritage offerings and, why Saudi is the perfect travel destination for Chinese travelers. A series of events, meetings, round table discussions and networking events were hosted, culminating in over twenty strategic partnership announcements. During the highly anticipated roadshow, Saudi Tourism Authority held meetings with over 100 trade partners and travel buyers in China to promote Saudi as a leisure destination, sharing insights into the emerging trends in MICE tourism. Facilitating seamless group travel is Saudi’s inclusion in the ‘Approved Destination Scheme’ alongside China’s participation in Saudi’s e-visa program along with 48 other nationalities and inclusion in the brand new 96-hour Stopover Visa – where guests flying onwards on SAUDIA can avail a complimentary one-night hotel stay in Saudi. Saudi’s presence in China is an indication of how important the tourism industry is for the Kingdom and the incredible growth the country has witnessed since opening to tourism in 2019. Saudi’s post-pandemic tourism recovery has outpaced G20 countries. Last year, Saudi Arabia welcomed 93.5 million visits and saw total tourism spend amount to SAR185 billion – an increase of 93% compared to 2021. China is a key source market for Saudi. As part of Saudi’s ambition to achieve 100 million visits annually by 2030, China represents immense potential as it is expected to be Saudi’s 3rd top source market by then. Alhasan Aldabbagh, President-APAC, Saudi Tourism Authority, said, “We are delighted to showcase the beauty of Saudi and its diverse tourism …

Saudi Arabia will be extending its e-visa facilities for Indian tourists soon, revealed Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO, Saudi Tourism Authority (STA). Hamidaddin said that Saudi is home for nearly 5 million Indians, and the proposed e-visa facility will help in unlocking the huge potential that exists for Visit Friends & Relatives (VFR) from India to Saudi Arabia. “You can expect the good news soon,” he said. The STA CEO has said that the eVisa has proved to be quite successful for Saudi Arabia and around 5 lakh travellers have used the facility since its introduction to visit the country.