WTM Spotlight Riyadh, organised by RX, will open on September 8, at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Centre, launching a new platform aimed at connecting Saudi Arabia with international travel markets as the Kingdom accelerates its tourism transformation under Vision 2030.
Running from September 8–10 , the inaugural event will give international travel companies an opportunity to engage directly with Saudi Arabia’s rapidly developing tourism market, while connecting Saudi stakeholders with global destinations, brands, travel buyers and industry leaders.
Tourism is playing a
growing role in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy, with the
Kingdom targeting a 10% contribution to national GDP by the end of the decade.
Investment in
hospitality, aviation, infrastructure, culture, entertainment and destination
development is creating opportunities across the tourism value chain.
The event welcomes the
Ministry of Tourism as Strategic Partner, supporting efforts to accelerate
tourism growth, strengthen international collaboration and advance Vision 2030
objectives.
Danielle Curtis,
Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX, said: “The pace and scale of change
taking place in Saudi Arabia make this an incredibly exciting moment for the
travel industry. Vision 2030 has created an environment where tourism,
investment, infrastructure, and visitor experiences are developing together,
opening opportunities not only within the Kingdom but also across international
markets engaging with Saudi Arabia.
“This transformation
was central to our decision to launch WTM Spotlight Riyadh. As event
organisers, our role is to create an environment where people can come
together, deepen their understanding of the market, share knowledge, and turn
conversations into meaningful partnerships and commercial opportunities.
“Tomorrow represents
the beginning of that journey. Our ambition is for WTM Spotlight Riyadh to
evolve alongside Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector and become an increasingly
important platform for connecting Saudi Arabian and international travel
businesses. We want the relationships and ideas that begin here to continue
well beyond the event and contribute to the next chapter of the Kingdom’s
tourism growth.”
The three-day
programme will combine pre-arranged meetings and networking with a conference
exploring key tourism trends and opportunities.
Sessions will cover
tourism growth under Vision 2030, the growing influence of Saudi outbound
travellers, and the future of visitor experiences, mobility, attractions,
talent and technology.
The programme will
also highlight the connection between Saudi Arabia’s growing inbound tourism
market and its increasingly influential outbound travel audience, bringing
destinations, travel brands and Saudi stakeholders together in a focused B2B2C
environment.
WTM Spotlight Riyadh
is supported by partners including Fairmont Ramla and Fairmont Riyadh as
Official Hotel Partners and Almosafer Travel & Tourism Co. as Official
Journey Partner.
The organisers said the event aims to become an important platform for commercial exchange, industry insight and international collaboration as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its tourism sector and pursue the wider ambitions of Vision 2030. -TradeArabia News Service