Regenerative Tourism Trends: Saudi Arabia

Published in November 2024, this Globetrender report, produced in association with Red Sea Global, explores the future of regenerative tourism in The Red Sea and AMAALA destinations of Saudi Arabia.

At Globetrender, we are obsessed with innovation so have been monitoring the changes happening in Saudi Arabia – since the country opened to international tourism about five years ago – with fascination.

Looking at the renderings of the dozens of resort openings in The Red Sea destination, AMAALA and beyond, you immediately get a sense of the unrivalled ambition the Kingdom has when it comes to cementing its status on the world stage. But what is reality?

For our partner Red Sea Global, “regenerative tourism” is central to the hospitality and leisure projects it is developing – that means it is intending for the presence of its resorts, staff, scientists and visitors themselves, to have a positive impact on the surrounding environment, rather than just minimising damage.

Is it greenwashing? Cynics might say “yes” but at Globetrender, which is an organisation powered by travel journalists, we have set out to showcase the innovations Red Sea Global is spearheading and speak to experts from the organisation about what is actually happening on the ground. To be clear – this is not an audit, but a way of spotlighting the things it is doing right so others can follow its positive example.

To this end, not only has Globetrender published this trend report, which is designed to inspire other destinations and hospitality providers to implement similar regenerative measures, but a special season of our podcast “Blue Sky Thinking”, which was produced in assocation with Red Sea Global. Each episode features an interview with a different spokesperson from the organisation, and topics include accessible travel, marine life conservation and social uplift.

From Desert Greening to Electric Infrastructure, we hope that the trends showcased in this report motivate tangible positive change in the world because the solutions to almost all our planetary problems have already been identified.

Jenny Southan, editor, founder and CEO of Globetrender

This 42-page report contains:

Feature: "What is regenerative tourism?"

Interviews:

John Pagano, Group Chief Executive Officer, Red Sea Global

Raed Albasseet, Group Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer, Red Sea Global

Scientist Q&As:

• Dr Cecilia Martin, Senior Manager - Terrestrial Planning and Monitoring, Red Sea Global
• Rasha Shawoosh, Senior Member of the Social Development Team, Red Sea Global
• Rhonda Suka, Marine Planning and Monitoring Manager, Red Sea Global
• Dr Ivor Williams, Director – Marine Ecosystems Monitoring, Red Sea Global
• Dr Jessica Bouwmeester, Associate Director - Marine Enhancement, Red Sea Global

Trends:

1. Regenerative Hospitality
2. Desert Greening
3. Electric Infrastructure
4. Underwater Revitalisation
5. Accessible Experiences

Case studies:

1. Dar Tantora
2. Mangrove nursery
3. EV charging network
4. Corallium
5. Galaxea

Globetrender is the world’s leading travel trend forecasting agency.

Our reports are produced by award-winning journalists and forecasters. We identify trends as they are emerging, backing them up with case studies, expertly sourced data and industry thought-leadership to help travel companies shape their product for the traveller of tomorrow.

For collaborations, sponsorship opportunities, bespoke report commissions and consulting services, email editor and founder jenny@globetrender.com

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