ITB Asia News 2020 - Review Edition

REVIEW
FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
CONFIDENCE
ON THE RISE
RESOUNDING SUCCESS OF ITB
ASIA 2020 VIRTUAL SIGNALS
RESILIENCE AND LONG-TERM
OPTIMISM OF TRAVEL INDUSTRY
PROFESSIONALS
NEWS
#03
REIMAGINING
EVENTS IN
SINGAPORE…
AND BEYOND
#06
EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW
KATRINA LEUNG
Managing Director,
Messe Berlin
(Singapore)
EXHIBITORS
#10
SAUDI TOURISM:
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
SECTORS WORKING
HAND IN HAND

I NEWS I
EDITORIAL
Richard Barnes
Editor-in-Chief,
ITB Asia News
ITB Asia 2020 Virtual: taking the lead in turbulent times
ITB Asia, “Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show”,
successfully concluded last week, rounding off
the first virtual event in its 13-year history.
Over three days, the event welcomed over
35,000 travel professionals from around
the world who participated in the show’s
vibrant agenda of conference and networking
sessions, supported by world leaders and
leading destinations. With the virtual platform
providing the perfect space for networking,
attendees also took part in online business
appointments, fuelling confidence in the
industry’s future.
The organisers can be rightfully proud that as the
leading travel trade show in Asia, they are playing
their part in creating a close-knit community who
support one another not only through the good
times, but also in the more difficult ones. These
past three days have been a testament to the
resilience of all those in the travel and tourism
sector in Asia, with industry leaders coming
together, united by a common purpose of paving
the way forward in the face of the new normal.
Themed “Reinventing Travel in the New Normal”,
ITB Asia 2020’s virtual conference saw more
than 160 top speakers from major global brands
lead more than 100 conference sessions. This
year’s conferences focused on helping travel
industry professionals reinvent traditional
business models to adapt to current times and
prepare for the industry’s recovery.
Next year’s edition will be a hybrid show featuring
a live and an online model to facilitate continuous
engagement with industry stakeholders.
Scheduled to take place in Singapore from 27-
29 October 2021, the live segment of the event
hopes to bring back human connections through
face-to face business meetings and networking
sessions
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The future of hybrid
events in pandemic
times
During a series of talks entitled "Reimagining Association
Events", panelists Helmut Schwägermann, Prof. em., Osnabrück
University of Applied Sciences, Mike Lee, Vice President of
Sales, Marina Bay Sands and Stephane Talboom, Director of
Sales, K.I.T. Group debated over the necessity to host hybrid
events.
With the pandemic, hybrid or fullvirtual
events are the new mantra
as physical relations are almost
impossible for now. But will it last
forever? The question was raised
during a session presented by K.I.T.
Group and Marina Bay Sands in
partnership with ITB Asia.
For Stephane Talboom, the
assessment of conducting a hybrid
event is essential. "We must evaluate
if the hybrid event fits into a strategy
and assess its costs, because it
requires virtual exhibition experts but
also communication and technology
experts, as well as strong content and
a strong panel to attract followers," he
explained.
Hybrid is perceived as a good way
to attract a bigger audience as a
real conference might see delegate
numbers clipped for health safety. "A
conference could be limited to 500
or 1,000 delegates. Bringing a hybrid
solution would help expand its global
appeal, and it can help in reducing
the carbon footprint," said Mike Lee,
VP Sales, Marina Bay Sands.
Working out the content of the
conference is crucial. "The use of
3D technology and various digital
techniques from a broadcast
studio should capture participants'
imagination", added Lee.
5G technology and augmented
reality will further improve the layout
of hybrid events. But there is still a
strong desire to meet physically.
According to Talboom, building trust
among partners requires physical
contact. A recent survey found 63%
of business people would prefer a
physical contact rather than going
virtual. "Hybrid" is for now the magic
formula
2 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
www.itb-asia-news.com

I NEWS I
Lasting changes
in the new normal
for travel
Downtown Singapore
During an ITB Asia 2020 Virtual conference session, Axel
Hefer, CEO of trivago, shared his vision of the future shape of
travel in a post-COVID-19 world.
For Hefer, family travel was the
first segment to recover in most
markets around the world. But
travel habits had profoundly
changed. "Tourism became driven
by close-by, driving-distance trips.
Urban tourism also came under
pressure as city destinations
faced more restrictions and less
activities," he explained.
What could the future look like?
For Hefer, city trips will bounce
back as soon as a vaccine will
be made available for the world.
However, the trivago CEO
believes two sectors will face
difficulties in recovering any time
soon: intercontinental travel and
business travel.
"Intercontinental travel is not only
suffering from weak demand, but
it is also affected by supply issues.
It will indeed take some time for
airline networks to rise back to
their old strength if they ever come
back," Hefer said.
Axel Hefer
CEO, trivago
Business travel is unlikely to regain
its status and Hefer predicts a
permanent reduction in business
travel volumes. "Unlike in previous
recessions, where business travel
recovered, improved technology
changed the picture. Companies
discovered that they can become
very productive without being in
the same space. That will generate
fewer reasons to travel," he said.
Consolidation of the travel industry
will certainly shape the future of
the industry. Hotels in metropolises
will be confronted with oversupply.
They will need to find innovative
ways to manage their portfolio
more efficiently.
The push of big e-commerce
and digital platforms such as
Google and Amazon can only
be considered an asset if they
foster innovation. "If they are
seen at hindering progress, then
state regulation will come," he
concluded
Beyond COVID-19:
tourism transformed
in Singapore
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is leveraging
Augmented Reality as well as building analysis and
data capacities to help the local industry withstand
challenging times.
Acting Singapore Tourism
Board CEO, Poh Chi Chuan,
agrees with his Prime Minister,
Lee Hsien Loong, that the
COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis of
a generation: "It will have longterm
implications on our life,"
he explained at ITB Asia 2020
Virtual's digital conference.
Pessimism, however, is not
STB's mantra. The organisation
considers the crisis an
opportunity to boost the digital
age for the travel industry,
leading changes with new
initiatives. "Our objective is to
help and prepare the tourism
industry for this new world," said
Chuan.
To face the main paradigm shift
of getting from a contact-centric
tourism to a digital one for the
time being, STB is launching
three initiatives.
Augmented Reality (AR)
technology is being launched
over the coming month to
leverage digital content. "The
technology does not require
much investment. Our in-house
developers are working to turn
into AR 1,000 items related to
our Singapore icons, cultural
assets and our heritage. An AR
curriculum will also be taught
at tech college," the STB acting
CEO said.
A second initiative is to enhance
industry capacity to evaluation
and ultimately transformation;
The "Tourism Transformation
Index TXI" is a self-diagnostic
tool for companies to assess
their strength by analysing
customers' behaviour. It will
also help companies to know
how they fare in answering
customers' wishes and where
there is a need to improve.
Launched last April, STAN
(Singapore Tourism Analytics
Network) capacities will be
further enhanced with new
analysis features. An e-learning
platform is also being developed
to "help tourism stakeholders
better understand the value of
data," stressed Chuan
ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020 3

I ON-DEMAND CONFERENCE I
ON-DEMAND
CONFERENCE
MICE DESTINATIONS TALKS
More details, click here
WORLDWIDE
Unlocking Possibilities with CVBs
Lesley Williams, Managing Director, BestCities Global Alliance
Jessica Chang, Director North Asia, Melbourne Convention Bureau
(MCB)
Christopher Zhang, Managing Director, PTC Express Travel
SOUTHEAST ASIA & INDOCHINA
Philippine MICE: Innovations and Best Practices
Jing Lagandaon, Chairman, PACEOS – Philippine Association of
Convention / Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers, COO, Global-Link
MP Events International Inc.
Agnes Pacis, VP, PACEOS, VP and General Manager, SMX Convention
Center
Maria Anthonette C. Velasco-Allones, COO, Tourism Promotions
Board
INDIA & SOUTH ASIA
Talk 1: The Future of MICE in India
S. Balasubramanian, President, IEIA – Indian Exhibition Industry
Association
INDIA & SOUTH ASIA
Talk 2: Post-COVID-19 Tourism & MICE Industry
Recovery
Kimarli Fernando, Chairman, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB)
Dr. Susie Perera De Silva, Deputy Director General – Public Health
Services, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka
Dileep Mudadeniya, CEO, Cinnamon Life, Vice President, John Keels
Group (moderator)
NORTH ASIA
The Outlook of MICE Travel in China’s Market
Kris Van Goethem, Managing Director, MICE, Leisure & Sport,
Thomas Cook China
Olivia Chen, CMO, Thomas Cook China
OCEANIA
Talk 1: Melbourne’s Innovation and Pursuit of
Connection: Differentiation on the Road to
Recovery and Growth
Julia Swanson, CEO, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB)
Peter King, CEO, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
(MCEC)
OCEANIA
Talk 2: The Future of Business Events: Recovery,
Resilience, and Innovation
Anna Hayward, Head of Auckland Convention Bureau, Auckland
Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED)
Barbara Maple, President, Barbara Maple & Associates, Chair,
Auckland International Business Events Advisory Group (Moderator)
Steve Armitage, General Manager – Destination, Auckland Tourism,
Events and Economic Development (ATEED)
Lisa Gardiner, Global Manager Business Events, Tourism New
Zealand
EUROPE & AMERICA
Talk 1: What’s Next in the Constantly Changing
Business Events Industry
Matthias Schultze, Managing Director, German Convention Bureau
(GCB)
EUROPE & AMERICA
Talk 2: Regional Diversity as a Key to the Global
Competitiveness of the Destination in Post
Pandemic Era
Alexey Kalachev, CEO, Russian Convention Bureau (RCB)
Alexander Porodnov, CEO, ANO “Investment Promotion Agency of
the Sverdlovsk Region”
Pavel Mayorov, CEO, Krasnodar Region Development Corporation
NJSC
AFRICA
The Future of Incentive Travel in Africa: The
Barriers & Opportunities
Tes Proos, President, SITE Africa
Corné Koch, Head, Cape Town & Western Cape Convention Bureau
Frank Murangwa, Director of Destination Marketing, Rwanda
Convention Bureau
Jillian Blackbeard, CEO, The Victoria Falls Regional Association
TOURS & ACTIVITIES
More details, click here
INDIA & SOUTH ASIA
Talk 1: The Road Ahead in the New Normal &
Emerging Travel Trends
Daniel D’souza, President & Country Head, Leisure, SOTC Travel
INDIA & SOUTH ASIA
Talk 2: Destination Storytelling in India
Vijay Prabhat Kamalakara, Founder & CEO, Storytrails
NORTH ASIA
Talk 1: The Outlook for Tours & Activities in
China’s Market
Brian Bergey, CEO & Co-Founder, Lost Plate Food Tours
NORTH ASIA
Talk 2: Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Comparison of the
South Korean Travel Industry
Donggun Lee, Founder & CEO, MyRealTrip
NaeYoung (Sophia) Kwon, Business Development Lead –
Experiences, MyRealTrip
Baromi Kim, Business Development Lead – Key Accounts,
MyRealTrip
NORTH ASIA
Talk 3: Trends in Japan: Before COVID and After
COVID
Takahiro Noguchi, CEO, Beauty of Japan
EUROPE & AMERICA
Talk 1: The Pivot to Virtual and the Transformation
of Tours & Activities
Stephen Oddo, CEO & Co-Founder, Walks
EUROPE & AMERICA
Talk 2: Making Decisions During a Pandemic
Simone Gozzi, CEO & Co-Founder, City Wonders
DESTINATION MARKETING
More details, click here
The Marketing Gurus:
The New Normal in Destination Marketing: Insight
and Case Studies from the Front
Anna Au-Yeung, Global Head of Destination Marketing, Travelport
Sean Keliiholokai, Vice President Business Development, West
Hollywood Travel + Tourism Board
Tolene van der Merwe, Director – UK & Ireland, Malta Tourism
Authority
4 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
www.itb-asia-news.com

I ON-DEMAND CONFERENCE I
The Marketing Gurus:
Destination Marketing Strategy Checklist:
How Data Plays a Critical Role in Today Travel
Marketing
Rochelle Chhaya, COO, OMD APAC
Maunik Thacker, Senior Vice President – Marketing, Marina Bay
Sands
The Marketing Gurus:
WeChat Marketing: A Complete Guide for
Overseas Travel Brands
Jiang Ting, Founder, Bridge86 & WeChat4Travel
The Marketing Gurus:
Marketing to Gen Z: What’s Next in Youth Travel?
Reene Ho-Phang, Founder & Managing Director, BrandStory Asia
The Marketing Gurus:
How to Create the Right Stories at the Right Time
to Reach Out to an Audience Dreaming of Travel
Nicola Eliot, Vice President, BBC StoryWorks APAC, BBC Global News
Anne Banas, Editor, BBC Travel, BBC Global News
The Marketing Gurus:
Rebounds and Revenge Travel
Martin Stoll, CEO, Sparkloft Media
The Marketing Gurus:
The New Storytelling Strategies for Destinations
in The Changing Social Media Landscape
Jonathan Sloan, EVP, Europe and Middle East Strategy, MMGY Global
Victoria Sanders, Director Travel, News UK
Nick Evans, Social and Digital Director, MMGY Hills Balfour
The Marketing Gurus:
Influencer Marketing and Social Media
Management for the Travel Industry
Kelly Beckwith, Co-Founder & Director, The Asia Collective
The Marketing Gurus:
Crisis Communications: Marketing a Destination
Amidst COVID-19
Elan Shou, APAC CEO, Ruder Finn Asia
The Marketing Gurus: Reimagining the Tours &
Activities Value Chain
Matthew Barker, Founder and CEO, Horizon Guides
The Marketing Gurus:
Reimagining Destinations for the Post-COVID
Travellers
Jake Haupert, Co-Founder & Chairman of Board, Transformational
Travel Council
Brian T. Mullis, Board Member, Transformational Travel Council
Joe Pine, Co-Founder, Strategic Horizons LLP, Strategic Thought
Leader, Stone Mantel, Lecturer (Part-time), Columbia University
School of Professional Studies
Anna Pollock, Founder, Conscious.Travel
HOTEL REVENUE
DISTRIBUTION SUMMIT
More details, click here
Can Hotels Save the Planet? Rethinking Hotel
Designs With Mother Nature in Mind
Clint Nagata, Founder & Creative Partner, BLINK Design Group
Guy Heywood, COO, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
Allen Kerton, Design Principal & Partner, Coopers Hill
The Key to Recovery is Guest Satisfaction – Learn
How to Turn Detractors into Promoters
Benjamin Jost, Co-Founder & CEO, TrustYou
Steffen Wenz, CTO, TrustYou
How Revenue Management Has Evolved and
Where It is Today
Omkar Sen, Chief Revenue Officer, ZEN Rooms
Trends Hoteliers Need to Consider
Maria Taylor, Head of Hospitality, Asia Pacific, Amadeus
The Travel Journey – Past, Present and Future
Patrick Andres, Regional Vice President, Oracle Hospitality
The Future of Short-Term Vacation Rentals
Quirin Schwaighofer, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, MadeComfy
Moving Forward in the Midst of Crisis
Fenady Uriarte, Business Development Manager, South East Asia, STR
Leverage Big Data and Analytics to Predict Future
Market Demand
Amit Peshawaria, Head, Asia Pacific & Oceania, OTA Insight
Adapting for the Future of Hospitality
Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (Excluding Greater China),
Marriott International
PARTNER'S SESSIONS
More details, click here
Conference Partner’s Session:
What’s Next for Cruise?
Jiali Wong, Regional Manager, Asia, Cruise Lines International
Association (CLIA)
Conference Partner’s Session:
What Does It Mean to “Build Back Better”?
Introducing the Future of Tourism Coalition
Natasha Martin, Founder, Good Tourism (moderator)
Jeremy Sampson, CEO, The Travel Foundation
Jens Thraenhart, CEO, Mekong Tourism
Albert Salman, President, Green Destination
Conference Partner’s Session:
ASEAN Travel Readiness
Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO, CrescentRating, CEO, HalalTrip
Raudha Zaini, Strategic Partnerships & Projects Lead, HalalTrip
Barkathunnisha Abu Bakar, Founder, Elevated Consultancy &
Training, Director, World Women Tourism, Associate, Murdoch
University (Singapore)
Nagesh Jaladi, Head of Retail and Commerce, Asia Pacific,
Mastercard
ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020 5

I EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I
ITB Community hosted the 2020 virtual version of ITB Asia, and will continue to
provide a virtual space where travel buyers, sellers, media, and trade professionals
alike can come together to access all of the latest information about the travel
industry. We asked Katrina Leung, Managing Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), to
tell us more about the community.
Towards virtual and hybrid
events for a new dynamic
Exclusive interview: Katrina Leung, Managing Director of
Messe Berlin (Singapore)
Katrina Leung
Managing Director
of Messe Berlin (Singapore),
the organiser of ITB Asia
We have been delighted with
the enrolment of more than
35,000 members in this newly
launched exclusive platform.
Being one of the first of its kind
to be implemented in Asia’s
travel industry, the platform has
seen an overwhelming positive
response and engagement. We
hope to welcome even more
users as it becomes integrated
in our everyday lives in the new
normal.
Why was it so important to run
an event such as this under the
current circumstances?
As Asia’s leading travel trade
show, we saw the need for the
travel industry to band together
with regulators and partners
to strengthen confidence and
build resilience during this
extraordinary time. The virtual
event aimed to adapt and serve
the travel trade community as
many look up to us for direction.
It has raised best practices and
content for the travel trade,
and has helped us rethink how
we can ensure the continuity
of our annual show. With
technology now playing an
even bigger part in our lives,
this gave us the opportunity
to demonstrate our agility and
ability to innovate. Going virtual
was a way for us to continue
providing businesses in the
industry a platform to connect
– uniting and enabling business
meetings to take place for a
seamless knowledge exchange.
It also set an example of how
digital disruption can benefit
the industry and revolutionise
travel.
Would you say you achieved
your goals?
Yes. Our goals were to: bring
back the chance to connect
and reconnect buyers, sellers
and industry professionals;
provide the travel industry with
a year-round engagement
for business, networking and
learning; and unite travel
professionals and world leaders
to rethink strategies and explore
innovative solutions to build a
more resilient travel industry as a
whole, with the comprehensive
conference agenda.
How challenging has it been to
organise this year’s event?
As with organising any event,
the challenge is to ensure a
seamless attendee experience.
This year, the new challenge has
been to adapt to the new normal
– where the travel industry
had to quickly pivot to a new
event model – virtual. Moving
forward, hybrid event models
will be the standard, to include
both mediums of engagement
-- physical and virtual -- at
future exhibitions. As the
industry continues on the path
of recovery, this could also
signify increased opportunities,
where businesses previously
unable to, will be able to connect
with one another with the
introduction of virtual access at
exhibitions
What are the plans for 2021?
ITB Community will continue to
host a series of virtual events
to engage the marketplace all
year round. Travel Meet Asia is a
series of virtual events covering
different parts of Asia to serve
as a value-add to the industry’s
efforts of attendee engagement.
The first Travel Meet Asia -
South Asia event will be held on
9 & 10 December 2020.
ITB Asia 2021 will go hybrid –
live event + virtual component
to provide an all-rounded event
experience like none other. For
ITB Asia 2021 live event, we
have already booked more than
40% of our exhibition space.
In the meantime, the platform
will continue to incorporate and
make available content and
resources, which include various
features to enable business
meetings and allow knowledge
exchange. These include
integrated business matching
and communication tools, such
as a messaging board, forums,
focused groups, live chat, and
video call functions
8 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
www.itb-asia-news.com

I EXHIBITORS I
MOSCOW ADJUSTS
TOURISM STRATEGY IN
THE NEW NORMAL
In today's unusual times, new conditions dictate new
rules. Consequently, Moscow City Tourism Committee has
adjusted its strategy and moved its main tourism projects
online.
MOSCOW TRAVEL HUB
Moscow Travel Hub is a platform which engages
representatives of the Moscow tourism and hospitality
industry who are interested in creating and developing
new products and services. The main aim of the hub is to
provide conditions for the creation of new products and
services, developing a collaboration and implementation
of new technologies in the tourism industry.
Sentosa - more than ever
a one-stop-shop for MICE
and "bleisure" tourism
Sentosa’s strategic location, accessibility and array of unique offerings
make it a highly attractive one-stop shop for unconventional MICE
experiences. The 2018 Bloomberg New Economy Forum and USA-
DPRK Singapore Summit further showcased Sentosa’s excellent
“turnkey” capabilities in hosting high-stature events.
With talks underway in Singapore to
establish additional “green lanes” for
regional travel and the MICE industry
starting to reopen, the Sentosa
Development Corporation is teaming
with the Singapore Tourism Board to trial
new leisure aspects for B2B events.
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC)
is a government statutory board that
oversees the development, management
and promotion of Sentosa as a resort
destination.
SDC has been working with STB through
its list of pilot events to layout a framework
for safe events on Sentosa. In August,
SDC piloted Singapore’s first event since
COVID-19 hit the world. The organisation
has had to re-imagine MICE events
through SAFE itineraries. The pilot has
been a great success, showcasing how
events in Singapore and in Sentosa can
safely resume with the right measures in
place.
Some of these measures include low
contact leisure activities, staggering
groups of delegates to minimise crossmingling
and choosing dinner venues
with care, taking advantage of Sentosa’s
USPs – the outdoors – to provide a great
ambience while keeping everyone safe.
Sentosa is a unique “island-in-thecity”
for holidaymakers and business
travellers, with diverse and unique leisure
experiences all in one place, easily
accessible from the central business
district and via public transport.
Attracting some 19 million Singaporeans
and tourists annually, the 500-hectare
resort island is home to more than 30
themed attractions, some 120 food
& beverage outlets, golden sandy
beaches, 17 hotels with more than 4,000
rooms, two premier 18-hole golf courses,
a deep-water yachting marina, lush
greenery and more
Hub includes the following projects:
• Moscow Travel Hack — a hackathon on digitalisation in
tourism (The first one was held in Moscow in February
2019 in cooperation with 10 Russian and international
partners: Facebook, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine
Arts, Russpass, Discover.Moscow, Aeroexpress, etc.);
• Moscow Travel Factory — an acceleration program for the
development of digital products and services in tourism
and hospitality industry;
• Speed-dating of tourism industry participants to create
new partnerships.
RUSSPASS
RUSSPASS is a digital travel service in Moscow that
allows a visitor to fully plan a trip to Russia and Moscow.
RUSSPASS contains city services and attractions, such
as museums, parks, restaurants, theatres, cafes, and city
events from all over Russia. Since its launch, more than
80 regions of Russia have joined the platform. The service
will include an e-visa option when it launches in 2021 in
Russia, with citizens of 53 countries becoming eligible.
#MOSCOWWITHYOU
#Moscowwithyou is an online project launched by the
Moscow City Tourism Committee together with the city's
cultural venues in March 2020. On the website, anyone can
virtually go on excursions, listen to lectures, see theatre
performances, watch cooking shows, fashion shows
and much more. Recently, an English version appeared
#Moscowwithyou. More than 50 excursions are now
available with English subtitles
ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020 9

I EXHIBITORS I
Saudi Tourism: public and private
sectors working hand in hand
Exclusive interview: Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and board member of
the Saudi Tourism Authority
Saudi Arabia recently hosted the G20 meeting of tourism
ministers. We asked Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and board
member of the Saudi Tourism Authority, how important this
event was in terms of helping the Kingdom stand out as a
leading light in the tourism world.
Under the Saudi Presidency this
year, the Saudi Ministry of Tourism
has taken a lead on addressing the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
on the global travel and tourism
sector.
WE ARE LOOKING
TO ATTRACT
TRAVELLERS
FROM CHINA,
SOUTH KOREA,
MALAYSIA AND
JAPAN WHO
HAVE A LOT TO
DISCOVER FROM
TRAVELLING TO
THE HOME OF
ARABIA
The Ministry’s leadership has
pioneered a uniquely collaborative
approach between the public and
the private sectors to build a safe
environment for travellers and
rebuild traveller confidence. From
a Saudi Tourism Authority
perspective, this responsiveness
provided us with a framework
to develop and market with
the Kingdom's largest ever
domestic tourism campaign -
"Saudi Summer" - with complete
confidence that visitors would be
able to travel safely. Ultimately, these
efforts have contributed to shoring
up and strengthening the local
tourism industry through increased
domestic spend.
How are the private and public
sectors working together in terms
of moving tourism forward?
Close collaboration with the private
sector is central to our approach
to developing the tourism market
in Saudi Arabia. Part of the Saudi
Tourism Authority's mandate is
to support the development of a
tourism infrastructure, while
empowering and enabling the
private sector. As part of this
mandate we are building the first
national level visitor experience
management unit in the industry,
which will work closely with our
private sector partners to accelerate
innovation and drive visitor
experience improvements across
the entire tourism journey.
How has the COVID-19 crisis altered
your goals for the next ten years?
Tourism in Saudi Arabia has
made significant progress in the
past year since the launch of our
first international tourist visa in
September 2019. We are committed
to and remain on track to achieve
our Vision 2030 goals of 100
million visits by 2030 across both
international and domestic.
Saudi Arabia is leveraging its
strengths and ambitiously pursuing
its targets to become a global
tourism destination, despite the
challenges presented by COVID-19.
What are the next steps in your
tourism promotion plans?
We have ambitious plans to further
drive the promotion of Saudi as
a leading international tourism
destination and the Asian market is
a key priority for us. We are looking
to attract travellers from China,
South Korea, Malaysia and Japan
who have a lot to discover from
travelling to the home of Arabia
and we are confident that Saudi's
natural beauty, authentic culture
and rich adventure experiences
will inspire Asian tourists looking to
journey off the beaten track. To help
achieve these goals, we are building
representative teams in key markets
to help drive our initiatives forward.
We will also soon be launching our
Winter Season activities, which
will help bring new experiences
and destinations to market. We are
looking forward to welcoming our
domestic, regional and international
visitors to explore and discover our
winter destinations
SAUDI SUMMER BOOSTS
TOURISM IN 2020
The Saudi Tourism Authority has been putting a great deal of effort
into re-kindling domestic tourism. Their "Saudi Summer" campaign
encouraged Saudi nationals and residents to explore 12 unique
destinations along the Red Sea coast. The campaign was hugely
successful and was warmly received by travellers and domestic
tourism companies alike. The campaign ran from June to September
and generated a 33% increase in visitor spend recorded by hotels,
restaurants and cultural activities compared to the same period in
2019. At peak period, some destinations saw hotel occupancy rates
reach almost 100%.
10 ITB ASIA NEWS • FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER 2020
www.itb-asia-news.com