![]() The country's Red Sea Project, which should open its first luxury resort this year and will eventually have its own airport, is also likely to cause headaches for conservationists. It's hard to see how all those hotel swimming pools can continue to be filled with impunity. It uses huge amounts of energy to run desalination plants, and is rapidly depleting groundwater sources. After all, most of the country is desert. Water scarcity is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest problems. The tourism sector is increasingly threatened by climate change, and in a 2019 paper published in the "Annals of Tourism Research," the writers concluded the Middle East was one of four regions most at risk. Resistance could come from different quarters. "There's been a huge amount of investment and there likely is a chance of success," said Justin Francis, co-founder and chief executive officer of UK-based activist tour operator, Responsible Travel. "I'm not entirely convinced yet. There will certainly be strong resistance." Saudi Arabia struggles with water scarcity To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoĪt the same time though, there are more than a few obstacles. All the nonstop promotion appears to be paying off. Last year, the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council reported that Saudi Arabia had the fastest growing tourism sector in the Middle East and that by 2025, the country would get around 40% more international visitors than nearby tourism-savvy Dubai. Fastest tourism growth in the Middle EastĪfter a yearslong publicity barrage, it's difficult to find impartial analysis of Saudi Arabia's tourism plans. These include the Mukaab, a gigantic entertainment and shopping center on the outskirts of Riyadh, as well as new resorts along some 120 kilometers (75 miles) of the country's underdeveloped Red Sea coast, complete with a harbor for super yachts. Other huge developments are also planned. A new airline, Riyadh Air, will start flying in 2025.Īt the same time that hotels are being built and planes purchased, the country has also prepared its often-neglected six UNESCO World Heritage sites for more visitors. They have done deals with some of the biggest names in the business, including Hilton, Hyatt and Accor, among others. And the Saudis are spending big on their plans, with a fund of up to a trillion dollars' worth of investment. For example, in the neighboring United Arab Emirates, the total contribution of tourism to national income is around 12%. The numbers suggest that while Saudi Arabia's tourism ambitions are grand, they are not impossible. "But I think it is also still too early to assess clearly whether it's going to be a success or not." "It's extremely exciting to observe what's happening there because, up until recently, Saudi Arabia had been something of a blank spot on the tourist map," Markus Pillmayer, a professor of tourism at Munich's University of Applied Sciences, told DW. Before 2019, Saudi Arabia only ever issued visas for business travelers, expatriate laborers or religious pilgrims Image: Elif Ozturk Ozgoncu/AA/picture alliance This currently costs just over $142 (€130). It was only in 2019 that the oil-rich kingdom started to allow visitors from 49 countries easier entry, with the purchase of an electronic visa. As part of Vision 2030, the country's long-term plan to diversify its economy away from oil, it wants to see tourism go from contributing 3% to national income to 10%, and add a million more jobs to the sector. ![]() ![]() Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is best known for being ruled by a royal family that tolerates no political opposition, as a global leader in dispensing the death penalty and for its extremely conservative and religious culture that prefers both sexes to dress modestly at all times, as well its ban on all alcohol.īut there's good reason for this $400 million (€365 million) business deal: Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into its tourism sector. Habitas describes itself as an eco-conscious, culturally savvy provider of luxury "homes" and wellness experiences. That may seem like an odd match at first.īurning Man is well known for its lack of rules, drinking, dancing, experimental drug-taking and the wild, flesh-baring costumes exuberantly sported by both male and female attendees. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Habitas, the American company that got its start setting up luxury camping at the annual Burning Man festival in the US desert.
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