What does AlUla’s Global Outreach Mean for KSA’s Cultural Heritage?
In an exclusive interview with Melanie de Souza, Executive Director for Destination Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla, we dive into the purpose behind Saudi Arabia's preserved ancient oasis city's global outreach and its potential contribution to the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
Following the Kingdom’s infamous human and natural heritage site’s first-ever global campaign launch this year, the number of UNESCO-listed Saudi heritage sites climbed to seven bringing it closer to its 2030 target of eight. The Kingdom also became the world's second-fastest-growing tourism destination, welcoming 106 million visitors in 2023, including 27.4 million international tourists.
These achievements highlight the importance of two key pillars of Vision 2030: preserving and promoting Saudi Arabia's cultural heritage and strategic investments driving economic growth. Together, they demonstrate Vision 2030's impact in positioning the Kingdom as a global tourism destination.
To be able to decode this turnover, we need to analyze the approach these tourist destinations are adapting to reach the international consumer, and further educate them about the preserved culture.
“When Saudi Arabia decided to diversify its economy away from oil during the constitution of Vision 2030, tourism was prioritized. And, it’s fair to say that AlUla can be identified as one of the most progressed Giga Projects in the Kingdom. We take great pride in the fact that we have such deep heritage,” said Melanie de Souza, Executive Director for Destination Marketing at The Royal Commission of AlUla.
In image above: Melanie deSouza, Executive Director for Destination Marketing
“With 200,000 years of human history behind us, 7000 years of continuous civilization – we’re on a mission to protect this heritage while transforming it into a year-round destination for tourists,” she added.
Communicate sat down with her to further delve into the mission behind the launch of the first global campaign of AlUla and also the broader significance of AlUla’s outreach and its impact on the Kingdom’s economy.
It’s more than just tourism.
While AlUla has become the next staycation spot for many local and international travelers. There is more to it.
We’re always there for the economic well-being of our locals who proudly call AlUla their little home. While we are placing AlUla as a destination, there are many sectors this destination opens up opportunities for as well. Such as film and cinema,” said de Souza.
She emphasizes the importance of creating more opportunities for budding talent in the region. "We want to provide meaningful pathways for employment for people across the film, arts, and creative industries. And that's something we've already been doing. A recent exhibition we hosted in Maraya—the world's largest mirrored building—showcased private Saudi Arabian collections. The spaces we have are a statement in themselves and really contribute to the region's artistic landscape, making them the perfect backdrop of exhibits like these."
Attracting the right kind of consumer
Three pillars form the AlUla strategy. First, tourism and heritage preservation; second local community and lastly, economic diversification. All of these resonate with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. Every destination needs to define its target tourist and AlUla’s administration adopted a “data-driven and insights-focused” approach to do so. Moreover, de Souza defines how AlUla is steered towards providing a quality experience. “We’re always aiming for first-time visitors to come back again and being mindful that at no point we have mass tourism in our destination. Our target for 2035 is only 2 million tourists. Ours is a destination, where you can be assured of a quality experience with more trips over a lifecycle. That’s what we work towards.”
"We've identified the geographic locations we want to target based on both the size of the economic cost and how well they align with our offerings in terms of source markets. In addition to that we’re always personalizing our strategies at every stage of the visitor journey – from the time of building awareness to converting. An example is our destination mobile app, which has proved to become a really useful tool for visitors in planning their trip or even when they’re on the ground."
When it comes to curating a seamless consumer journey, de Souza recommends understanding the target market. “For larger markets, it’s crucial to deploy destination management companies. With people on the ground, and deeper connections – you can attract, resonate and tailor your experiences,” she added.
AlUla’s Calendar of Events under AlUla Moments is a testament to de Souza’s approach to building tailored experiences. This year, we're celebrating five key festivals, including Desert Polo, the Camel Cup, the Falcon Cup, the Desert Blaze which invites runners to test their endurance from around the world, and also Azimuth—a two-day cultural music festival. Our focus is on delivering maximum value to first-time travelers while also staying true to AlUla's brand proposition."
The promise to be Forever Revitalizing
AlUla’s first global campaign – ‘Forever Revitalizing’ aims to echo the destination’s commitment to integrating economic prosperity with the preservation of its natural and cultural heritage. In collaboration with French cinematographer, Bruno Aveillan, the campaign film covers the various attractions in the city while also hinting at its deep roots in history and art.
“Through this global outreach, we appeal to people in today’s world to also make responsible tourism choices. We’re also reaching out to the tourists with the promise of cultivating a community. One that is authentic and connected to its culture,” said de Souza.
