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Expo 2030 Accelerates Massive Tourism Projects in Riyadh

Diriyah Tourism Area (Diriyah Gateway Development Authority)
Diriyah Tourism Area (Diriyah Gateway Development Authority)
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Expo 2030 Accelerates Massive Tourism Projects in Riyadh

Diriyah Tourism Area (Diriyah Gateway Development Authority)
Diriyah Tourism Area (Diriyah Gateway Development Authority)

After Riyadh’s triumph in securing the hosting rights for Expo 2030, attention has shifted towards the Saudi tourism sector, poised to benefit significantly from millions of visitors worldwide during the exhibition period.
Concurrently, Riyadh is accelerating its tourism projects to capitalize on the exhibition's momentum.
On Tuesday, Riyadh surpassed the Italian capital Rome and the Korean city of Busan during the first round of voting held in France.
The Group CEO of Diriyah Company, Jerry Inzerillo, views Saudi Arabia’s victory in hosting Expo 2030 as a significant success for the kingdom's tourism sector.
According to Inzerillo, the announcement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosting Expo 2030 is a testament to the magnitude of the transformation and success achieved by the Kingdom.
He anticipated that the exhibition would attract no less than 28 million visitors immersing themselves in unique cultures across 246 astonishing pavilions.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia achieved a significant milestone in the tourism sector, ranking second globally in terms of tourist arrivals during the first seven months of 2023.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, the Kingdom witnessed a remarkable 58% growth in tourist numbers during the first seven months of this year when compared to the same period in 2019.
This data was sourced from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in September.
“We aim to receive 50 million annual visits to Diriyah, create over 178,000 direct job opportunities, and contribute $18.6 billion to the gross domestic product by 2030,” said Inzerillo in a press release on Wednesday.
Diriyah, known as the cradle of the kingdom and one of Saudi Arabia's most important historical sites, symbolizes national pride and a source of Saudi identity.
Fahad Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, told the Associated Press that the kingdom’s exhibition plan includes transforming Riyadh into an “open-ended art exhibition without borders.”
Saudi Arabia continues its global openness to welcome the largest number of visitors, aiming to achieve its targets of receiving 100 million tourists by 2030.
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism announced the electronic issuance of visit visas for citizens of six countries, bringing the total number of countries benefiting from this service to 63.

 

 

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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Fire, Smoke Upend Western Canada’s Summer Tourism Season

A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)
A helicopter works a forest fire outside of Jasper, Alberta, Canada, on Friday July 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Severe wildfire seasons are increasingly hurting western Canada's lucrative tourism industry, with some visitors beginning to avoid the busy late-summer months due to concerns about uncontrolled blazes, smoke-filled skies and road closures.

After a scorching start to July, nearly 600 wildfires are now ablaze across British Columbia and Alberta, including a huge fire that this week devastated the picturesque tourist town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.

Dozens of communities, including popular holiday spots in British Columbia's Kootenay region, are under evacuation orders and several highways are closed.

This year's surge in wildfire activity comes after Canada endured its worst-ever year for wildfires in 2023, when more than 15 million hectares (37 million acres) burned, including parts of the city of West Kelowna in the heart of British Columbia's wine region.

Ellen Walker-Matthews, head of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, said the industry was seeing a lot more last-minute travel decisions instead of booking in advance.

"It's a huge blow. July and August are traditionally the busiest months in the region," said Walker-Matthews, adding that while her region has been relatively unscathed by wildfires this summer, some visitors are choosing to avoid interior British Columbia altogether.

The members of the British Columbia Lodging and Campgrounds Association are reporting a 5-15% drop in bookings from a year ago, with the biggest declines coming from the hotter Okanagan and Cariboo regions, said Joss Penny, who heads the association.

"The concern is that this is something we have to live with and we have it every year now," said Penny.

Although wildfires in Canada's forests are natural and common, scientists say drier, hotter conditions fueled by climate change are leading to more volatile and frequent blazes.

'SMOKEY SKIES'

Some events, like the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, usually held in August, have now been rescheduled to earlier in the summer to avoid what is now seen as peak smoke season. The festival, which was cancelled last year due to nearby wildfires, was this year moved to July to benefit from "less smokey skies."

Wildfires and extreme climatic events are prompting tourists to "change their plans not just temporarily, but permanently," said Elizabeth Halpenny, a tourism researcher and professor at the University of Alberta, noting that seasonal workers in the sector are often the hardest hit as they have few protections during a bad season or amid a cataclysmic fire.

Tourism contributed C$7.2 billion to the British Columbia economy in 2022, and C$9.9 billion to Alberta in 2023, according to the latest government data.

Jasper National Park is one of Canada's premier tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors a year flocking to see its pristine mountain landscapes and abundant wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose and elk.

Kelly Torrens, vice-president of product at international tour company Kensington Tours, described western Canada as a bucket-list destination. But the company now has 49 trips that were supposed to pass through Jasper this season in limbo. Six others were forced to evacuate the park when the fire hit.

Parks Canada has cancelled all camping reservations within Jasper National Park until Aug. 6 and with potentially 50% of the town's structures destroyed by fire, the cleanup and rebuild could take years.

Halpenny is among those hedging their bets.

"I've booked a campsite stay in the mountain parks but at the same time, I booked a campsite out on the prairie somewhere and that's my backup plan because I don't want to miss out on my vacation with my family."