Saudi Arabia doubles down on promotion of AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla has announced that the ancient city - now being developed into an international tourism destination - has been certified by US-based Destinations International under its Destination Marketing Accreditation Program. AlUla is the first destination in the Middle East to receive this accreditation.
Accreditation is based on performance standards including governance, stakeholder engagement, financial management and destination development.
Other accolades won by AlUla in 2024 include:
- #1 cultural tourism project and leading festival and event destination at World Travel Awards Middle East, for the second consecutive year
- European Foundation for Quality Management 5-star rating for organizational excellence
- Middle East Facility Management Association Excellence Award
Under Saudi Arabia's Destination 2030 initiative, goals for the AlUla development include:
- 2 million annual visitors
- $31.9 billion contribution to GDP
- Creation of 38,000 jobs
But will Saudi Arabia - a country that's brutally hot, is essentially "dry" alcohol-wise, forbids the mingling of men and women and the wearing of shorts in many locations, and executes political protesters and opponents of the government - be able to draw tourists from long-haul source markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific? Stay tuned for updates.
