On the ITB Berlin journey convention this week, Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin touted success in attracting feminine vacationers.
“Our progress is because of vacationers from all over the world who search distinctive and genuine experiences, particularly these from Europe and the Americas. And, as a standout demographic in our progress story for 2024, we discovered that 44% of vacationers to Saudi have been ladies,” he mentioned on LinkedIn.
With an estimated 30 million worldwide guests, based on the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, that might imply 13.2 million feminine vacationers.
Final Might, Hamidaddin known as out the necessity to promote the dominion as protected for feminine vacationers: “One factor we’re not doing nicely… [is talking about] security for girls, we should always inform the world extra about how protected Saudi is [for women],” he mentioned.
Saudi ladies gained the best to drive in 2018 and to be tour guides in 2019. The share of girls who make up the tourism workforce had reached 45% as of 2024, based on Hamidaddin final Might.
It was in 2019 that Saudi let ladies keep in resorts by themselves slightly than with a male guardian, as they’re referred to within the kingdom. Non-Saudi ladies haven’t been required to point out “proof of relationship” with a person when checking right into a resort since 2019.
Since 2024, Saudi tourism authorities have made some strikes to market extra to feminine vacationers. Intrepid launched its first excursions run by Saudi ladies, for Saudi ladies.
In August, the Saudi Tourism Authority launched a big international marketing campaign known as “This Land is Calling,” by which a lady starred in a two-minute promotional video displaying off the nation.
Sarah, a 29-year-old advertising and marketing govt based mostly in Dubai is one such traveler. She visits Riyadh for work each different month, staying in resorts as she visits her workplace within the kingdom. She requested Skift to omit her surname.
On being a “solo feminine traveler” to Saudi, she instructed Skift: “When my work first instructed me two years in the past I might be having to go to Riyadh so typically, I used to be nervous. My mum lived in Riyadh for a number of years a decade or so again and did not have the most effective expertise. However all my visits have been rather a lot simpler and safer than I imagined. It does not really feel a lot totally different from Dubai actually, only a bit quieter. In my work, I see a variety of different ladies like me staying in Riyadh with none worries. I am undecided I might go to Riyadh for a vacation, however I’m curious to go to AlUla someday.”
The Saudi Tourism Authority didn’t reply to a request for extra remark.
