AlUla, an ancient oasis city in northwestern Saudi Arabia, announced in Shanghai on Thursday a range of initiatives to attract travelers from around the world and boost its tourism market.
Located 1,100 kilometers from Riyadh, AlUla is a site of extraordinary natural and human heritage, including lush oasis valleys, towering sandstone mountains, and ancient cultural sites dating back to the reign of the Lihya and Nabataean kingdoms.
The most well-known and recognized site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 52-hectare ancient city of Hegra is made up of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades carved from the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Ti Gon
AlUla has a lot for travelers to explore
AlUla as a new tourist destination is set to embark on an exciting journey with the launch of its first global brand campaign, “Forever Revitalizing,'' announced in Shanghai.
It encapsulates the essence of AlUla and presents a fresh and authentic perspective created to attract travelers from all over the world, and our data-driven initiative has identified nine major global source markets. It debuts in six languages across the world and integrates across multiple channels.
Signature events targeting travel trade partners in five major international cities – Dubai, London, New York, Paris, Shanghai and Mumbai are also part of the plan.
“I love China and am always impressed by what's happening in the country,” said Melanie de Sousa, executive director of destination marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla in Shanghai.
“I am very impressed with the potential of this market.Shanghai is so beautiful and yesterday I was walking on the Bund and saw the beautiful lights and how gorgeous the city is.
“We're looking at a China response program in terms of how we actually engage with them in terms of language, food and guides,” she said. “We started talking about what destination management companies, hotels and adventure operators need to do to promote the Chinese market.”
In 2022, AlUla received 185,000 tourists, and the number jumped by 44% in 2023.
Ti Gon
AlUla is an emerging tourist destination.
