With Saudi Arabia being the world’s fastest-growing new year-round tourism destination, STA has announced it will enter into a major new partnership with RX Global – following a formal signing after WTM London – which will see STA become the first-ever ‘Global Travel Partner’ of the World Travel Market (WTM) tradeshow events.
The two-year partnership, which is scheduled to run from November 2023 – September 2025 and is designed to cover the global remit of the WTM brand (including WTM London, WTM Africa, WTM Latin America and Arabian Travel Market), was announced on 8th November 2023, at the closing day of World Travel Market London.
The agreement to partner was reached on the Saudi stand between the STA and RX Global on the final day at this year’s WTM, where the STA has led the largest-ever Saudi tourism delegation, with over 75 stakeholders in attendance – a 48% increase from last year.
The STA stand this year brings to life the diverse and dynamic offering of what visitors can experience in the authentic home of Arabia, and the scale of progress of the most ambitious transformation in the world.
The STA level of attendance and participation truly demonstrates the significance of WTM 2023 in charting the future of the global tourism sector’s growth.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority said: “Saudi is the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination, outperforming every expectation and setting the pace globally. Thanks to Saudi’s tourism leadership, each year our presence at WTM London continues to grow, and we are welcoming more visitors than ever, well on track to reach our targets for 2030.
“This partnership will highlight Saudi’s progress at WTM London and inspire more visits to Saudi through a series of engaging promotional activities at WTM events. Trade shows form a key part of our strategy of engaging with international trade partners – making the WTM sponsorship a perfect partnership for growth.
“I look forward to meeting old friends and new partners from around the world across all the WTM shows in 2023, 2024 and beyond.”
Vasyl Zhygalo, WTM Portfolio Director said: “We’re pleased to welcome Saudi as the first ever WTM Global Travel Partner, building on the successes of the partnership with WTM London in 2021 and 2022. Saudi has ambitious targets to grow its tourism sector and our shows offer an unparalleled opportunity for Saudi to share its diverse range of tourism offerings and investment opportunities with key trade buyers and media from around the world.”
The collaboration is scheduled to include new promotional activities to inspire visits to Saudi Arabia. The STA CEO, Fahd Hamidaddin delivered a keynote speech at WTM London as well as opening remarks on the main Elevate stage. There was also an interactive and immersive stand, a specially-curated ‘Experience Saudi’ marketing campaign, digital screens in the WTM London Boulevard and a sand/sea scape on the boulevard floor that really brought Saudi Arabia’s brand to life.
Trade show attendance has been a key part of STA’s strategy since it opened its doors to international visitors in 2019. At WTM trade shows over the past few years, STA has secured a record number of deals and agreements with key international trade partners, and demonstrated STA’s commitment towards the success of the global tourism ecosystem.
Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), launched in June 2020, is responsible for marketing Saudi Arabia’s tourism destinations worldwide and developing the destination’s offering 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 Arabia’s destination brand locally and overseas. STA operates 16 representative offices around the world, serving 38 countries.
SOURCE: Saudi Tourism Authority becomes a Global Travel Partner for all WTM Trade Shows
