The launch of the Saudi Summer Program 2024 comes at a time when visiting the country has become easier through efforts like the eVisa availability to citizens of 66 countries, reducing the price of eVisa by 20 per cent, and increasing the number of weekly flights from Gulf cities to Saudi summer destinations to 1,100.
The Saudi Tourism Authority and Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors, launched the Saudi Summer Program 2024 at an event held recently. “Saudi Summer is Next Door”, the summer program will run for four months until the end of September across seven destinations.
This includes over 550 exceptional tourism products and more than 150 special offers and packages curated for families and children across different segments like adventure lovers, those looking for luxury retreats and activities, and culture and heritage enthusiasts.
The summer program is launched across the destinations including Aseer, Al Baha, Taif, the Red Sea – a new destination, Jeddah, Riyadh and AlUla. This year, the program will also witness the return of the Jeddah Season and the launch of the Aseer Season with a momentum of family activities and events lined up.
In addition to this, Saudi also has a line-up of the biggest events as part of the summer program, particularly the Esports World Cup in Riyadh being held for the first time, an annual eight-week competition featuring the world’s most elite Esports athletes, and multiple boxing tournaments happening both in Riyadh and Jeddah.
At the event, Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority, highlighted global tourism trends, the growth seen by the Kingdom in the tourism sector, and the record-breaking numbers of incoming tourists resulting in Saudi Arabia topping the UN World Tourism List and the G20 nations list.
“Saudi Arabia is witnessing a transformative period in tourism, driven by our vision to position the Kingdom as a premier global destination. The Saudi Summer Program 2024 is our commitment to showcasing the rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and unparalleled hospitality that Saudi Arabia offers. We invite local and international tourists to experience the diversity of our seven unique destinations and take advantage of the exceptional offers and packages designed to create unforgettable memories. This initiative, supported by our strategic partnerships and groundbreaking initiatives like the eVisa and increased flight connectivity, demonstrates our dedication to making Saudi Arabia more accessible and appealing to tourists worldwide. We look forward to welcoming visitors from all corners of the globe to explore and enjoy the vibrant experiences that await them this summer,” the minister said.
The launch event was also attended by Secretary-general of World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, over 250 key strategic partners from the public and private sectors, and media and key opinion leaders.
“Saudi tourism is witnessing unparalleled development at all levels, achieving great leaps in recent years, which I witnessed during my multiple visits to this hospitable country. Saudi Arabia has global indicators related to the number of tourists, which has qualified it to top the UN World Tourism list of significant tourist destinations,” expressed Pololikashvili.
“All of these great achievements for Saudi tourism would not have been achieved without proper planning from those in charge of the sector in the Kingdom and the great potential it possesses in terms of diverse climates, stunning natural landmarks and the generosity of Saudi people who are distinguished by their hospitality, raising the ceiling of ambitions for new achievements,” he added.
“While temperatures in the region rise to high levels during summer, temperatures in the highlands of Saudi Arabia in the southern region decrease to the extent that we even witnessed snowfall in Al Soudah yesterday. Through the promotional campaign for the Saudi Summer Program 2024, we seek to highlight the uniqueness of our destinations and their climatic, natural, and cultural diversity, along with the exceptional events and activities happening during summer,” stated Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Board Member of the Saudi Tourism Authority.
The campaign slogan “Saudi Summer is Next Door” embodies an open invitation to explore the magic of Saudi destinations and their diversity. This diversity is expressed with simple words that reflect the uniqueness of each destination such as “Closer,” “Cooler,” “More Beautiful,” and “More Affordable.” The private sector is a key partner in the success of tourism programs and initiatives and the Saudi Tourism Authority is keen to empower it by encouraging demand for products and offers that meet the aspirations of tourists from all over the world.
The launch of the Saudi Summer Program 2024 comes at a time when visiting Saudi has become easier, smoother, and safer through efforts like making the eVisa available to citizens of 66 countries, reducing the total price of the eVisa by 20 per cent, and increasing the number of weekly flights from Gulf cities to Saudi summer destinations to 1,100.
Also, GCC residents can make use of the GCC residents visa, which allows them multiple entries and a stay of up to 90 days in Saudi Arabia during a year. There has also been an increase in the number of hotel rooms available to travellers with an additional 25,000 rooms expected to be added this year.
