- New WTTC research confirms that no destination has suffered permanent collapse following a crisis, with recovery often leading to stronger growth
- Taking place from 8-10 September at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC), WTM Spotlight Riyadh will connect the world to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia to the world – supporting long-term industry growth through meaningful business connections and collaboration
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:WTM Spotlight Riyadh will showcase the strength, resilience and rapid growth of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, bringing together global industry leaders to strengthen partnerships, explore new opportunities and reinforce confidence in one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism markets.
Exclusive insights from STR have highlighted the resilience of the Kingdom’s tourism sector, with Jeddah in particular performing well, with strong demand since March 2026 due to the city’s coastal location, resulting in growth being revised up and the rebound expected to continue through 2027. The data also indicated that giga-projects in Riyadh will support a rapid rebound in demand in 2027, with expectations to reach 2025 levels in February.
These findings align closely with Saudi Arabia’s own tourism trajectory. In Q1 2026, data from the Saudi Ministry of Tourism showed that visitor numbers increased by 8% year-on-year to 37.2 million, with tourist spending reaching SAR82.7 billion. Domestic tourism rose by 16% during the same period, reflecting strong local engagement with the Kingdom’s expanding tourism offering and growing confidence in the sector’s future.
In 2025, the Kingdom welcomed nearly 123 million domestic and international visitors, generating more than SAR304 billion in tourism spending and surpassing Vision 2030 tourism milestones ahead of schedule.
Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director, UAE, RX, said: “Tourism has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary ability to recover, adapt and grow, even in the face of significant challenges. Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector is an excellent example of this resilience. Supported by Vision 2030 and continued investment in tourism infrastructure, aviation, hospitality, and visitor experiences, the Kingdom has built a robust ecosystem that continues to generate growth, attract investment, and create opportunities across the travel value chain.
Research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), developed in partnership with George Washington University and Chemonics International, which will deliver three conference sessions during WTM Spotlight Riyadh, outlined the resilience of the travel sector and its ability to recover from disruption. According to the report’s research, recovery is consistent and, in most cases, leads to stronger growth.
The WTTC report also highlighted that recovery is a result of leadership, investment and collaboration. Ibrahim Osta, Senior Economic Growth Director & Global Tourism Lead at Chemonics International, said: “Recovery doesn’t just happen – it’s a decision. The destinations that came back fastest are the ones that made the bold decision to invest at the height of the crisis, protected their businesses, and controlled their own narrative when everyone else went quiet. That is not luck. That is leadership.”
Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector has maintained sustained investment in affic across Saudi airports reached 140.9 million in 2025, while the Kingdom’s connectivity network expanded to 176 international destinations according to statistics from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT)
Investment across tourism infrastructure has also continued, with new hospitality developments, expanded airport capacity, enhanced visitor experiences and major tourism projects supporting the Kingdom’s ambition to welcome 150 million visitors annually by 2030.
WTM Spotlight Riyadh has been created to support this growth by providing a highly focused environment where destinations, tourism authorities, travel brands, hospitality providers, airlines, technology companies, and buyers can establish meaningful commercial relationships and explore new opportunities. By connecting the world to Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia to the world, the platform allows international stakeholders to engage directly with one of the world’s most dynamic tourism markets while supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions.
The event will bring together more than 6,500 regional and international visitors and 150 international hosted buyers, creating a dedicated marketplace where industry leaders can exchange ideas, develop partnerships and contribute to the continued resilience and growth of global tourism.
Designed as a focused B2B2C platform, WTM Spotlight Riyadh will showcase the full travel ecosystem, from destinations, hospitality providers and attractions to transportation, travel technology and tourism services. Through pre-arranged business meetings, curated networking opportunities, and a comprehensive conference programme, the event will create an environment in which meaningful commercial outcomes can be achieved while supporting Saudi Arabia’s long-term tourism ambitions.
Aligned with Vision 2030, WTM Spotlight Riyadh will reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a key driver of tourism innovation, investment and international collaboration, demonstrating how resilience, connectivity and partnership can continue to shape the future growth of global travel.
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.
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 42 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. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
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
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents.
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.
Next event: 14–17 September 2026 at Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai.
https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
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.
Next event: 3 – 5 November 2026 at ExCel London.
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 this 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 advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
Next event: 13-15 April 2027 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, <a href="https://absafricatv9491.live-website.com/fg-pursues-compensation-over-south-africa-attacks/" title="FG pursues compensation over South Africa attacks”>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.
Next event: 7-9 April 2027 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town
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 reors, 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/
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