Saudi Arabia Launches Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition

Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
TT

Saudi Arabia Launches Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition

Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)
Visitors at the Jeddah International Tourism and Travel Exhibition 2024. (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali)

The Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (JTTX) 2024 kicked off at the Jeddah Superdome on Sunday.

The Jeddah Exhibition is hosting 250 local and international entities, including tourism bodies, the private sector, airlines, hotels, resorts, and specialized tourism companies, and seeking to attract more than 40,000 visitors, tourists, and specialists.

The Exhibition is hosting new companies from several countries, including Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chad, Mauritius, Cyprus, Hungary, Georgia, and other companies from AlUla.

The Jeddah Superdome is the largest geodesic dome in the world to ever stand without pillars and hosts multi-purpose exhibits, sports, shows, and international conferences.

President of the Exhibition’s organizing committee Maya Halfawi stated that the event will present a new vision for tourism.

She stressed that JTTX will be an ideal opportunity for companies and institutions to enhance their business and increase their presence in the growing Saudi market, in line with Vision 2030 goals.

Attracting visitors

The official pointed out that Saudi Arabia is a global tourist destination and a golden opportunity for exhibitors to meet new partners and attract potential customers through various professional marketing tools.

She added that the exhibition identifies the needs and goals of the Saudi market, establishes partnerships in the large travel market, and reaches senior executives and influential decision-makers.

The event is an ideal opportunity for companies and institutions in the travel and tourism industry to enhance their business and increase their presence in the growing Saudi market, she added.

JTTX hosts a wide range of products, making it an annual purchasing destination for travel enthusiasts and an opportunity for exhibitors to present their services and launch new products, attracting greater interest.

Egypt's Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Ghada Shalaby revealed Cairo's plans to attract 30 million tourists in 2028, noting that about 15 million visitors arrived in the country last year.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the exhibition, Shalaby discussed the programs and facilities that Egypt provides to tourists and investors.

She touched on her country's launch of a five-year tourist visa worth $700 through embassies and consulates abroad, adding that Egypt grants electronic visas to 180 nationalities.

In its 12th edition, the Jeddah exhibition provides the opportunity to explore investment possibilities in tourism and provides advice on the latest offers, trends, and strategies to enjoy exceptional travel trips through workshops by specialized experts.

Encouraging domestic tourism

The exhibition is seeking to be a link between the participating parties and the travel market in Saudi Arabia to find new and unique ways of business cooperation by encouraging domestic and foreign tourism.

JTTX presents an opportunity for exhibitors to sustain existing partnerships, forge new collaborations, and attract potential customers by leveraging diverse professional marketing tools.

The current edition will focus on implementing partnerships and contracts between local and global parties participating in the exhibition.

The Kingdom has captured the world’s attention as a leading tourist destination. It is aspiring to attract 150 million visits and 70 million international tourists annually by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world. In 2022, it ranked 13th among tourist destinations, and a year later, it landed the second position globally as the fastest-growing tourist destination.



Japan's Incoming PM Ishiba Calls for Loose Monetary Policy

Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) poses in the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo, Japan September 27, 2024. REUTERS
Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) poses in the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo, Japan September 27, 2024. REUTERS
TT

Japan's Incoming PM Ishiba Calls for Loose Monetary Policy

Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) poses in the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo, Japan September 27, 2024. REUTERS
Shigeru Ishiba, the newly elected leader of Japan's ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) poses in the party leader's office after the LDP leadership election, in Tokyo, Japan September 27, 2024. REUTERS

Japan's incoming prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said on Sunday the country's monetary policy must remain accommodative as a trend, signaling the need to keep borrowing costs low to underpin a fragile economic recovery.
It was not immediately clear whether Ishiba, who had been a vocal critic of the Bank of Japan's past aggressive monetary easing, was taking a more dovish line with his remarks.
“It's something the Bank of Japan, which is mandated to achieve price stability, will decide while working closely with the government,” Ishiba told public broadcaster NHK, when asked about further interest rate increases by the central bank.
“From the government's standpoint, monetary policy must remain accommodative as a trend given current economic conditions,” he said.
On fiscal policy, Ishiba said he will aim to compile a package of measures at an early date to cushion the economic blow from rising living costs, with a focus on helping low-income households.
Ishiba, a former defense minister, is set to become prime minister on Tuesday after winning the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Friday.
After his victory, Ishiba said monetary policy would broadly remain loose but suggested he would not push back against further increases in still near-zero interest rates.
The BOJ ended negative interest rates in March and raised short-term borrowing costs to 0.25% in July in a landmark shift away from a decade-long, radical stimulus program.
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda has signaled a readiness to raise rates further if Japan makes progress towards durably achieving the bank's inflation 2% target, as the board projects it will.
Ishiba told Reuters in August that the BOJ was on the “right policy track” by ending negative rates and endorsed further normalization of monetary policy, saying it could boost industrial competitiveness.
But in an interview this month, he said Japan must prioritize making a full exit from deflation and warned of weak signs in consumption.
The yen, which fell on Friday on news that a dovish rival would join Ishiba in a run-off for the LDP leadership, rebounded on his victory.