Saudi Arabia adds visa options for Indians

As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom aims to welcome 7.5M Indian tourists between now and 2030.

To facilitate that happening, the Saudi government has introduced multiple visa options for visitors from India:

Stopover Visa: Permits a stay of up to 96 hours, and is valid for 90 days. Available through the Saudia airline website for a small charge to cover admin fees and medical insurance. Requires relevant travel document and a flight ticket for a further destination.

E-visa: Available online from the Saudi visa portal to Indian citizens who hold (1) a valid tourist or business visa issued by the US, the UK or any Schengen country with an entry stamp from the issuing country or (2) a permanent residence visa from one of the GCC countries, if valid for at least 3 months from date of entry to Saudi Arabia. This is a multiple-entry visa that permits stays of up to 90 days and is valid for a year. Cost varies from approximately INR 7,568 to 10,997.

Visa-on-Arrival: Indian citizens who are eligible for the E-visa can also apply for a Visa-on-Arrival via land, air or sea. This is a multiple-entry visa, good for a year, that permits stays up to 90 days and costs approximately INR 10,685.

Tourism Visa: Indian citizens who don't meet the eligibility requirements for any of those 3 types of visas can apply through their nearest Saudi Embassy, Consulate or Tasheer Centre for a Tourism Visa. Cost is INR 7,010 and up. Length of validity, number of entries and days of stay are at the discretion of the embassy. Tasheer Centres are available in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kozhikode, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Patna (more to be added soon).

More visa help is available here:

visa.mofa.gov.sa

or

vc.tasheer.com

Note that WTTC predicts that over the next 10 years India will become the world's #4 tourism market, sending more international visitors around the globe than any country except for the USA, China and Germany.

Saudi Arabia doubles down on promotion of AlUla

The Royal Commission for AlUla has announced that the ancient city - now being developed into an international tourism destination - has been certified by US-based Destinations International under its Destination Marketing Accreditation Program. AlUla is the first destination in the Middle East to receive this accreditation.

Accreditation is based on performance standards including governance, stakeholder engagement, financial management and destination development.

Other accolades won by AlUla in 2024 include:

• #1 cultural tourism project and leading festival and event destination at World Travel Awards Middle East, for the second consecutive year
• European Foundation for Quality Management 5-star rating for organizational excellence
• Middle East Facility Management Association Excellence Award

Under Saudi Arabia's Destination 2030 initiative, goals for the AlUla development include:

• 2 million annual visitors
• $31.9 billion contribution to GDP
• Creation of 38,000 jobs

But will Saudi Arabia - a country that's brutally hot, is essentially "dry" alcohol-wise, forbids the mingling of men and women and the wearing of shorts in many locations, and executes political protesters and opponents of the government - be able to draw tourists from long-haul source markets in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific? Stay tuned for updates.

UN Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa

First-of-its-kind event is being organized by UN Tourism, the Basque Culinary Arts Center and the Government of Zimbabwe and is scheduled to be presented in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on 26-28 July 2024.

Event will focus on the pivotal role of gastronomy in African tourism development, with discussions of the challenges and opportunities of gastronomy as a key driver of Africa's global tourism competitiveness.

The Forum will bring together destinations and experts to exchange knowledge and share best practices for gastronomy tourism to benefit local communities and the environment while promoting regional cooperation.

Agenda:

Friday 26 July 0830-2130

• Registration
• Opening ceremony
• Ceremony for UN Tourism Ambassadors
• Opportunities for rural areas and local communities
• Gastronomy tourism for Africa's development agenda
• Live cooking demonstration
• Lunch
• Strategy for African gastronomy on the global scene
• Sharing of participants' views via live survey
• 360 degree vision
• Pitches by entrepreneurs
• Welcome dinner

Saturday 27 July 0930-2130

• Debate: How to showcase African gastronomy to the world
• Inspiring presentations on successful initiatives
• Lunch
• Building talent
• Building an agenda
• Closing ceremony
• BOMA Dinner (invitation only)

Sunday 28 July 1000-1700 Technical tours

Go here to register - note that registration closes 15 June 2024 which is this Saturday:

web.cvent.com/event/22e5eb...-bc7f-cf68c978a889/summary

Organizers advise:

1. Victoria Falls International Airport is the airport of arrival for direct flights.
2. Delegates are encouraged to book hotel accommodations well in advance because of limited availability of rooms.

A valid passport and visa are required for all visitors to Zimbabwe.

Conference will be conducted in English and French.

USD is the currency most used in Zimbabwe by international travelers.

I was unable to find any information about delegate ticket prices.

More details are here:

pre-webunwto.s3.eu-west-1.a...BgHNffuPhvHdz2L1iSckPDsIWY

Saudi Tourism Authority cements new key partnerships at ITB Berlin

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has announced the initiation of 14 new partnership agreements at the 2024 ITB Berlin travel trade show:

• STA will partner with Flynas on a new Berlin-Jeddah route to begin 1 September 2024 with 3 flights per week.
• The Saudi Air Connectivity Program will partner with Eurowings on direct routes from Cologne and Berlin to Jeddah to begin operating in October 2024.
• New further collaborations with Visit Bahrain, Visit Oman and Qatar Tourism on promotional campaigns will be designed to bring more international tourists to Saudi Arabia and its GCC neighbors.
• A new partnership between STA and Trip.com Group - Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, Travix, MakeMyTrip and Qunar - is aimed at attracting 350,000 additional tourists to Saudi Arabia in 2024.

The Saudi Tourism Authority, only just launched in 2020, currently operates 16 destination marketing offices worldwide to promote Saudi tourism to audiences in 16 countries.

Minister of Tourism and Chairman of STA His Excellency Ahmed al Khateeb and Her Highness Princess Haifa bint Muhammed led the Saudi delegation to ITB Berlin.

Comment: It's obvious that Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is serious about making his country a major player in tourism. And he has the big bucks to do it. Competitors, pay attention.

Saudi Tourism Authority to open destination marketing offices

The Cabinet of Saudi Arabia this week approved a series of 24 new regulations aimed at supporting the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) in the achievement of its global and regional tourism targets under Saudi Vision 2030.

The new regulations enable the STA to:

• Establish and oversee domestic and international destination marketing offices, to increase visitation and position the country as a top-tier tourist destination
• Play a pivotal role in the promotion of Saudi tourism
• Set visitation targets
• Allocate funds to private-sector partners
• Formulate comprehensive plans and policies for tourism marketing, domestically and internationally
• Promote and enhance destinations in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism
• Support and market activities and events organized by governmental and private-sector bodies
• Establish and maintain a database of tourist destinations, sites, resorts and services
• Promote, in coordination with relevant agencies, Umrah package tours - the Muslim holy pilgrimage to Al Makah and Al Medina
• Perform and report on assessments of visitor experiences, set standards, and identify tourism priorities and challenges
• Propose to the Ministry of Tourism designs, policies and procedures for the development, rehabilitation and modernization of tourist destinations
• Work with domestic and international companies and institutions to provide tourism marketing products and tools
• Conduct domestic and international marketing campaigns to promote tourism sites and products, including trademark development and registration
• Develop and execute domestic and global media plans for tourism promotion, including the organization of conferences and exhibitions
• Provide administrative and technical support to small and medium tourism businesses, and implement training programs that enhance marketing efficiency
• Out of its "independent annual budget" oversee promotional campaigns. propose investments, and coordinate with other entities to enhance the travel experience.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism, other governmental bodies and the private sector to shape marketing policies that align with the Saudi national tourism strategy.

Tourism Minister Ahmed bin Aqil al-Khateeb, who is also chairman of the STA, said that the Cabinet's approval of the new STA regulations reinforces the government's commitment to the support of tourism in achieving its objectives under Saudi Vision 2030.