Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to establish a new benchmark for experience-led tourism by putting local communities, culture and heritage at the heart of destination development, tourism leaders said at WTM Spotlight Riyadh.
Two sessions focused
on community tourism and the growing experience economy, with industry experts
discussing how the Kingdom can leverage its cultural and natural assets while
creating sustainable economic opportunities for local communities.
The discussions come
as tourism becomes an increasingly important pillar of Saudi Arabia’s economic
diversification strategy under Vision 2030. The Kingdom welcomed nearly 123
million domestic and international visitors in 2025, generating more than SAR304
billion in tourism spending. With visitor numbers expected to continue rising,
speakers stressed the importance of ensuring tourism growth creates lasting
economic value while protecting Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity and natural
heritage.
During the “Villages
to Value Chains – Designing Community Tourism” session, Jost Neumann, Programme
Coordinator for the Tourism for Rural Development Programme at UN Tourism,
outlined the key factors needed to develop successful community tourism.
“For community tourism
to succeed, we’ve identified five critical priorities: local value creation,
safeguarding living traditions and cultural identity, environmental
stewardship, strong institutional coordination, and market readiness and market
access so that great community experiences are commercially viable and meet
quality, health, and safety standards.”
Neumann pointed to
AlUla as an example of a destination with international relevance, highlighting
the potential for Saudi Arabia’s community tourism model to offer lessons for
other markets.
Silvia Barbone, Vice
President, Strategic Partnerships, Royal Commission for AlUla, said community
participation has been incorporated into AlUla’s development across heritage,
culture, creative industries, sport, social activities, handicrafts, innovation
and technology.
“We need to work on
what is unknown to the world and make it known to the world,” said Barbone.
“There is such richness in terms of history, legacy, heritage and natural
biodiversity.”
She said AlUla’s
approach focuses on co-creation, bringing communities together with government
and international partners to develop tourism while preserving the
destination’s distinctive character.
Nourah Al-Sadoun,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HiHome, highlighted the potential to
transform Saudi Arabia’s longstanding hospitality traditions into sustainable
economic opportunities. She said hosts initially found it difficult to accept
payment because of the Kingdom’s culture of generosity.
“At the beginning, it
was a new idea,” she said. “But we convinced them that this is the best way to
make it sustainable.”
The second session,
“The Experience Economy: Blending Ancient Heritage with Modern Entertainment,”
examined how Saudi Arabia can combine its historic identity with contemporary
entertainment, hospitality, technology and attractions.
Troy Gillham, Founder
and Chief Executive Officer of Warrior Group, said authentic experiences should
be built around the elements that distinguish Saudi Arabia.
“We need to make sure
we focus on the important parts of what makes Saudi, Saudi. The people, the
culture, the food, the incredible sites, the heritage, the stories – these are
the types of things that are really going to make an experience authentic,” said
Gillham.
“We shouldn't come up
with an experience and then try to implement heritage and culture. It should be
entirely flipped. We focus first on what makes Saudi Saudi, and we design our
experiences and attractions around that.”
Danielle Curtis,
Regional Portfolio Director – UAE, RX, said tourism investment should ensure
communities participate in and benefit from the sector’s expansion.
“As Saudi Arabia
continues to invest in destinations, hospitality, and entertainment, there is a
significant opportunity to ensure local communities are part of that growth and
benefit from it. The conversations taking place at WTM Spotlight Riyadh demonstrate
how collaboration between communities, government, destinations and the private
sector can translate tourism investment into lasting economic value while
protecting the authenticity that makes Saudi Arabia such a compelling
destination.” -TradeArabia News Service