Dubai: Major players in the Indian tourism sector predict that Saudi Arabia will become a popular new travel destination for Indians, with the number of visitors from the South Asian nation expected to double by 2023.
India has become Saudi Arabia's main source market for tourism over the past two years, and the Saudi Tourism Authority anticipates that it will overtake other markets as the Kingdom's travel destinations develop in line with Vision 2030 over the coming years.
A number of promotion initiatives were carried out by the STA in India throughout the month of February, including a fruitful roadshow and participation in trade and travel shows all over the nation.
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In order to capitalise on the large number of sports fans in the country, it also signed a partnership agreement with the Indian Premier League, the most popular T20 cricket league in the world.
This week, as the STA's February campaign came to an end, it declared its intention to "welcome more than 2 million Indian visitors" by the year 2023.
According to the STA, "India is a key source market for Saudi Arabia."
"India represents immense potential as part of Saudi Arabia's ambition to achieve 100 million visits annually by 2030 as it is expected to be one of Saudi Arabia's largest source markets for tourism by that time."
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To increase the number of Indian travellers, the Travel Agents Association of India, one of the largest business organisations in the nation with 2,500 members, signed cooperation agreements with the STA. Saudi Arabia is a beautiful and safe place to travel. Saudi tourism will be boosted, according to TAAI President Jyoti Mayal.
She said that the ongoing creation of new destinations for travellers will help the mission succeed.
Everyone is searching for fresh locations and experiences, Mayal continued. "People are constantly seeking out new places to visit. Experiences are the main focus of travel. Saudi Arabians are doing this, and you need to too.
The promotion of Saudi Arabia in India was hailed by Rajeev Saxena, president of the Tourism Guild of Agra, as a "positive development" for the hospitality industry.
He said, "More and more Indians like to go there. "Indians are considering new locations... They like going on adventures and spending time with their loved ones.
The national general secretary of the Travel Agents Federation of India, Abbas Moiz, agreed that Saudi tourism was appealing.
Regarding what Saudi Arabia has to offer, we have high hopes. They have wonderful tourist attractions, he noted. They do have a lot to offer in terms of scenery, natural beauty, and even new, modern cities that they are building, which will actually be very popular with Indian tourists.
In the upcoming years, a lot more tourist attractions are expected to open. In addition to the UNESCO World Heritage Site AlUla, there are massive tourism developments taking place in the mountains of the south-western Aseer region and along the Red Sea coast. Here, visitors will enjoy luxury as well as technological advancements that make tourism sustainable and environmentally friendly.
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"I sense that the Saudis want to establish a new Dubai in Saudi Arabia from the way they are promoting and marketing tourism there. Abhishek Sharma, an Agra-based travel agent, visited the Saudi pavilion at the South Asia Tourism and Travel Exchange earlier this month. "If the visa regime is liberal and hospitality is good, then I feel that, in the future, I will try to send tourists to Saudi Arabia," he said.
Because they previously did not place much importance on tourism, Saudi Arabia has been a secret destination for travellers. (Now) they are showcasing their architecture, heritage and nature. People would definitely like to explore this new Saudi Arabia."