Saudi Arabia is set to reopen its borders to international tourists starting from tomorrow (August 1), according to senior Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) officials.
"Saudi is looking forward to reopening its doors and its hearts to international visitors," said Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA).
"During the shutdown we have working in close collaboration with our partners in the public and private sector to ensure that visitors to Saudi can enjoy a memorable, authentic and, above all, safe experience for themselves and their loved ones. Visitors seeking unexplored heritage sites, an authentic cultural experience and breath-taking natural beauty will be surprised and delighted to discover Saudi’s warm welcome," he stated.
Hamidaddin pointed out that the announcement of the resumption of tourism visa comes as Saudi launches its 2021 summer seasonal campaign, bringing a wealth of new attractions and events to the country.
The new campaign is expected to tap into significant latent demand among the domestic and regional population, especially for larger scale entertainment events, which have been significantly affected by measures to control the spread of coronavirus, he added.
According to him, the Saudi Tourism Authority has been preparing for the reopening, building its international network and raising awareness of the brand.
With representative offices already in place in the UK, German and Russia / CIS markets, STA plans to have a further 12 overseas offices within the next twelve months.
The Authority has also built an international network of more than 3,000 tour operators, travel agents and other partners through virtual roadshows, training programs and direct outreach.
Saudi’s inaugural presence at ATM 2021 in May brought together more than 20 partners, including Saudia, the national carrier, and the country’s forward-looking tourism development projects, in a show of confidence for the country’s tourism economy.
The Saudi pavilion hosted more than 1,000 meetings during the physical event. A wide range of agreements were also signed at the event.
