• More than 14 agreements were secured during the three-day show, including major global partnerships with Trip.com Group.
  • The agreements mark a hugely successful ITB Berlin for Saudi’s tourism ecosystem with more than 55 partners exhibiting on the eye-catching Saudi stand and the celebration of welcoming 100 million tourists to Saudi in 2023.

RIYADH: – Saudi tourism celebrated one of the most successful travel trade shows in its history at ITB Berlin this week celebrating Saudi’s milestone achievement of welcoming over 100 million tourists in 2023 and securing major new trade partnerships as the sector continues its remarkable growth.

Building on the success of the ITB Berlin 2023 edition, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) secured more than 14 agreements, including major partnerships with Trip.com Group, Flynas and Eurowings as well as new collaboration with Visit Bahrain, Visit Oman and Qatar Tourism. These actions are set to boost Saudi’s tourism sector, propelling it towards unprecedented sustainable growth and further solidifying the kingdom's position as a leading global tourism destination.

Minister of Tourism and Chairman of Saudi Tourism Authority, His Excellency Ahmed Aqeel Al-Khatib, praised Saudi Arabia's successful participation in this year's ITB.

He said: “The 2024 Saudi pavilion showcased the bright future of tourism in our country in line with Saudi Vision 2030, along with the growth and evolution of Saudi’s tourism sector.

“Our participation in ITB has had a positive impact on enhancing Saudi’s position on the global tourism map -  strengthening relationships and cooperation with key international partners and catalyzing joint work to achieve global sustainability in tourism.”

Fahd Hamidaddin CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA):

“Saudi’s participation in ITB Berlin has been one of the most successful in our history and will help turbocharge the remarkable growth our thriving tourism sector has already seen.

“With more than 55 partners from the tourism ecosystem attending the show, we secured more than 14 new agreements that will increase our connectivity and ensure the world is aware of our dynamic and diverse destinations.

“Saudi’s growth so far is just the start of our story, a story which will be built on for years to come.”

During ITB, STA and Trip.com Group unveiled a major partnership aimed at attracting 350,000 additional tourists to Saudi over the next year. This collaboration, STA's largest global partnership to date, leverages Trip.com Group’s extensive network and technological expertise to promote Saudi’s unique tourism offerings to a worldwide audience.

In a strategic move, STA joined forces with Flynas to launch a campaign aimed at boosting international visits to Saudi. The partnership will see a new Flynas route between Jeddah and Berlin launching from from 1 September 2024, with three flights per week - aiming to significantly increase passenger capacity and enhance access to Saudi's rich cultural and historical treasures.

In another agreement aiming to enhance air travel connections between Germany and Saudi, the Saudi Air Connectivity Program and Eurowings signed an agreement to launch two direct routes connecting Cologne and Berlin to Jeddah, with the goal of beginning operations in October 2024.

Expanding its collaborative efforts across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), STA announced further collaboration with Visit Bahrain, Visit Oman, and Qatar Tourism which will see new promotional campaigns designed to attract new international tourists to the region. These innovative campaigns, designed to showcase the diverse cultural, historical, and natural landscapes of the GCC countries, offer international visitors a seamless experience exploring the rich heritage and modern marvels of Saudi and its neighboring states.

The Saudi delegation of more than 55 representatives was led by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of STA accompanied by Her Highness Princess Haifa bint Muhammad, the Vice Minister of Tourism, STA leadership, wider Saudi tourism ecosystem leaders and key partners including destination management companies, hotels, and airlines.

Over the course of the event, more than 14,000 people interacted with the Saudi stand which saw a record number of Saudi partners showcasing hundreds of bookable products for partners in destinations such as Jeddah, AlUla, and the Red Sea.

To mark the milestone of welcoming more than 100 million tourists in 2023, His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb hosted a celebratory reception convening global tourism leaders on the sidelines of ITB to showcase the remarkable growth and development of Saudi’s tourism sector. The event brought together leaders from the global travel industry and distinguished guests and further highlighted the exceptional collaborative opportunities that await exploration in the heart of Arabia.

Saudi Tourism Authority is grateful to all its partners who helped to deliver a successful showcase at ITB Berlin 2024 and looks forward with optimism to meeting its targets, as well as participating at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai from 6-9 May 2024.

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About Saudi Tourism Authority

Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), launched in June 2020, is responsible for marketing Saudi’s tourism destinations worldwide and developing the destination’s offerings through programs, packages, and business support. Its mandate includes developing the country’s unique assets and destinations, hosting and participating in industry events, and promoting Saudi’s destination brand locally and overseas. STA operates 16 representative offices around the world, serving 38 countries.

To learn more, please visit www.VisitSaudi.com

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, Travix, MakeMyTrip and Qunar. It helps travelers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services, as an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centers. It enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and product resources, making it the best partner for destination marketing solutions and product promotion.

About Visit Bahrain

Visit Bahrain aims to develop Bahrain’s tourism industry by working with government and private sector stakeholders and encourage greater footfall through the country. Visit Bahrain’s website offers a variety of ways to explore Bahrain, including via guides to events happening in the country, tours of various attractions.

About Visit Oman

Visit Oman, launched in 2021 as a subsidiary of OMRAN Group, is the Sultanate of Oman’s digitally native online booking platform, accredited by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), serving the needs of both the local and international travel industry. Through strategic partnerships, Visit Oman seamlessly connects the entire accredited Omani travel supply chain – flights, accommodation, transfers, tour operators, experiences, and more – all of which have passed a rigorous quality assurance framework to ensure exceptional standards.

About Visit Qatar  

Visit Qatar’s mission is to establish Qatar as a place where cultural authenticity meets modernity, and where people of the world come together to experience unique offerings in culture, sports, business and family entertainment, rooted in Service Excellence. Visit Qatar will regulate and develop the tourism industry, encouraging investment from the private sector. It will set the national strategy for the tourism sector, reviewing it periodically and overseeing its implementation, with the aim of diversifying tourism offerings in the country and increasing visitor spend. Through our network of international offices in priority markets, and cutting-edge digital platforms, Visit Qatar is expanding Qatar’s presence globally and enhancing the tourism sector.

About Flynas

Flynas connects more than 70 domestic and international destinations with more than 1500 weekly flights and has flown more than 78 million passengers since its launch in 2007, with the aim to reach 165 domestic and international destinations, in line with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030.