- Tourism leaders at WTM Spotlight Riyadh highlight the importance of community participation, local value creation and authentic experiences as Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector expands
- UN Tourism identifies five priorities for successful community tourism, spanning local value creation, heritage, environmental stewardship, institutional coordination and market readiness
- Industry experts say Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to develop experiences around the people, culture, food, heritage and stories that make the Kingdom distinctive
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 2026: Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to establish a new benchmark for experience-led tourism by placing its communities, culture and heritage at the centre of destination development, tourism leaders said today at WTM Spotlight Riyadh.
During two sessions examining community tourism and the rapidly evolving experience economy, industry leaders explored how Saudi Arabia can combine its extraordinary cultural assets with modern tourism and entertainment while creating meaningful economic opportunities for local communities.
The Villages to Value Chains – Designing Community Tourism discussion, moderated by Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director and Global Tourism Lead at Chemonics International, brought together experts from UN Tourism, the Royal Commission for AlUla, the Ministry of Culture and HiHome, while the second session featured representatives from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Warrior Group and Roland Berger.
The discussions come as tourism plays an increasingly important role in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification under Vision 2030. In 2025, the Kingdom welcomed nearly 123 million domestic and international visitors, generating more than SAR304 billion in tourism spending. As visitor numbers continue to grow, speakers highlighted the opportunity to ensure that tourism development creates long-term value while preserving the culture, identity and natural assets that differentiate Saudi Arabia as a destination.
Jost Neumann, Programme Coordinator for the Tourism for Rural Development Programme at UN Tourism, said successful community tourism depends on several interconnected priorities rather than a single solution.
“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.”
Saudi Arabia is already providing examples with international relevance, Neumann said, pointing to AlUla as a model other destinations could learn from.
Silvia Barbone, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Royal Commission for AlUla, emphasised that community participation has been embedded within 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 explained that the approach is centred on co-creation rather than imposing a predetermined tourism model, bringing the community together with government and international partners to develop a destination that protects what makes AlUla distinctive.
Nourah Al-Sadoun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of HiHome, also highlighted the economic potential of community participation, discussing how Saudi Arabia’s tradition of hospitality can become part of a sustainable visitor economy.
“At the beginning, it was a new idea,” she said, explaining that hosts were initially reluctant to accept payment because of the Kingdom’s culture of generosity and hospitality. “But we convinced them that this is the best way to make it sustainable.”
The importance of authenticity continued during The Experience Economy: Blending Ancient Heritage with Modern Entertainment, where speakers explored how Saudi Arabia can combine thousands of years of history with contemporary entertainment, hospitality, technology and large-scale attractions.
Troy Gillham, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Warrior Group, said the starting point for experience development should always be the attributes that make the Kingdom distinctive.
“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: “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.”
Visitor registration for WTM Spotlight Riyadh is now open, and travel professionals can secure their place at the inaugural event and engage directly with one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets.
About WTM Spotlight Riyadh:
WTM Spotlight in Saudi Arabia is the definitive launchpad for Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions – a platform purpose-built to connect the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector with the global travel industry. The show promotes meaningful exchange between regional stakeholders and international players. It’s where global travel brands gain direct access to one of the most promising new markets, and where Saudi Arabia showcases its destinations, vision, and investment opportunities to the world. WTM Spotlight Riyadh plays a vital role in shaping the Kingdom’s journey as a rising force in global tourism.
About RX:
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 41 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.
About RELX:
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
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WTM Spotlight India is a refined, high-impact platform that brings the legacy of the globally renowned WTM portfolio to India – anchored by WTM London and spanning leading travel trade events including Arabian Travel Market, WTM Latin America, WTM Africa, and WTM Spotlight Riyadh.
Building on this heritage of excellence, innovation, and high-value connections, WTM Spotlight India will debut at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi, from 2–4 March, 2027. Designed as a curated, business-first experience, it offers a premium platform for India’s travel and tourism stakeholders to engage with global opportunities, foster strategic partnerships, and unlock growth in one of the world’s most dynamic travel markets.
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now in its 33rd year, is held annually in Dubai – the gateway to global travel and tourism with unmatched connectivity – and is where the energy of opportunity comes to life.
More than just an event, ATM is a dynamic hub for industry communities, with forums, experiences, and networking that continue well beyond the show floor over the week. Now in a period of rapid expansion, ATM has grown by 16% year-on-year, attracting over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7,000 unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019, and welcomed more than 6,000 visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim of keeping all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub.https://hub.wtm.com/
