Details of the speaker lineup have been revealed for this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD), to be held in Riyadh from 27th – 28th September. With more than 500 government officials, industry leaders and experts from across 120 countries set to descend on Riyadh for the event, the level of attendance demonstrates the significance of WTD 2023 in charting the future of the global tourism sector’s growth.
LeBron James in Saudi Arabia in Sports Tourism Boost
15.09.2023 - 14:09 / skift.com / Lionel Messi / Josh Corder
LeBron James is in Saudi Arabia. First came the shaky videos on Twitter, then a government-approved video at The Saudi Basketball Federation, and now, he has been photographed admiring one of the kingdom’s many tourism projects: Diriyah Gate.
“A sporting legend lands in #Diriyah,” tweeted the project’s official account. “It was a pleasure hosting basketball star and #NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, at #DiriyahCompany. Our CMO, Kiran Haslam, presented the Diriyah project master plan and our vision to create a global sports hub in the Kingdom.”
Haslam himself wrote on LinkedIn: “It was a real pleasure to host LeBron James here in Diriyah, The City Of Earth. LeBron continues to inspire people from all walks of life through his incredible sporting career, and his time with us was indeed special. It was nice to get a very humble call from my awesome PA who informed me that my “very tall guest” had arrived.”
In May 2023, footballer Lionel Messi shared his own pics from Diriyah Gate. Marked as a paid partnership with Visit Saudi, the post has garnered around 17 million likes and more than 78,000 comments.
This post was one of many as part of obligations in partnership with Saudi Tourism, according to a report in the New York Times — a deal that could bring in $25 million over three years for him.
At the time of writing, the post about James has little reaction. Diriyah’s Twitter has just under 4,000 followers and the post with James has two likes.
James has not yet posted about the trip to the kingdom on his own social media platforms, where he has more than a hundred million followers.
A sporting legend lands in #Diriyah.
It was a pleasure hosting basketball star and #NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, at #DiriyahCompany. Our CMO, Kiran Haslam, presented the Diriyah project master plan and our vision to create a global sports hub in the Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/9rUSHufYA3
The Saudi government is using sports as a key part of its strategy to boost the country’s image and increase tourism. Saudi Arabia has hosted several major sporting events in recent years, including its first-ever Formula One Grand Prix race in Jeddah in 2021 and the heavyweight boxing championship match between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk the following year in the same city.
Christiano Ronaldo remains a Saudi resident, player for the Al-Nassr team, and a showcase of Saudi’s bold sports industry sector ambitions.
Saudi officials have said one of the goals of Vision 2030 is to establish the country as a regional hub for prominent sporting events. A report from accounting firm Ernst & Young found that the value of the sporting events industry in Saudi Arabia is expected to rise from $2.1 billion to roughly $3.3
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
skift.com
22.09.2023 / 18:21
Marriott Removes Job Ads Mentioning Alcohol in Saudi Arabia
The Luxury Collection NEOM, located in Saudi Arabia’s Sindalah Island, put out a call for mixologists and bartenders ahead of its opening next year – though the hotel’s operator, Marriott, says the job listings were a mistake and being removed.
skift.com
21.09.2023 / 15:47
Mohammed Bin Salman on Sports Washing: 'We'll Continue'
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as “MBS” by the media, won’t slow down his spending to reshape his kingdom and boost tourism. His immense projects have been met with scrutiny overseas, but in the future, he wants to develop nearly 600 islands along the coast, according to his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, his first fully in English.
thepointsguy.com
20.09.2023 / 12:53
Travel + Leisure Co. and Sports Illustrated launch new resort brand for college towns
Bama Rush is no longer just for TikTok.
skift.com
20.09.2023 / 08:29
Dubai’s Summer of Tourism Was Red-Hot as Russians Fill the City
Dubai continues to pull ahead of its pre-pandemic tourism numbers. The emirate drew in 9.8 million international travelers up to July this year, according to the latest data from Dubai Tourism. For the same period in 2019, Dubai had 9.6 million international visitors, and in 2022, welcomed 8.1 million up to that point.
matadornetwork.com
19.09.2023 / 04:43
Saudi Arabia's Ancient City, AlUla Offers Otherworldly Star-Studded Dark Sky Experiences
Stargazing is a time-honored tradition that has been an integral part of history in Saudi Arabia for millennia. The night sky was a crucial navigational tool in the vast and often featureless stretches of Saudi’s desert. Just as sailors use stars for navigation at sea, Bedouins relied on them to find their way across the sand. Those traditions are still honored today, and if you’re interested in learning more about the culture while enjoying the outdoors and vast star-studded sky, there are few locations in the country that can rival the natural beauty and vastness of AlUla.
breakingtravelnews.com
18.09.2023 / 07:19
Xingyi welcomes global guests at mountain tourism and outdoor sports conference
Global guests involved in mountain tourism and outdoor sports met in China’s mountainous rich Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture unveiled the 2023 International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports, or MTOS, in Xingyi city on Saturday. This year’s meeting aims at exploring the deep integration of mountain tourism and multi-industries, promoting the high-quality development of mountain tourism, and providing high-quality tourism experiences for tourists.
insider.com
17.09.2023 / 13:49
A professional Airbnb cleaner shares 3 easy ways hosts can boost their reviews
Looking to land that five-star Airbnb review?
breakingtravelnews.com
17.09.2023 / 06:51
Saudia to operate to and from Red Sea International Airport
Saudia will become the first airline to operate in and out of the Red Sea International airport (RSI). This is after the airline signed an MoU with the Red Sea Global (RSG) and daa International.
breakingtravelnews.com
17.09.2023 / 06:51
INDIA OUTBOUND MICE TOURISM MARKET WORTH US$ 13.4 BILLION BY 2031|DPI RESEARCH
According to the latest research study 2023, India Outbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism market size is expected to reach US$ 13.4 billion by 2031. The Indian Outbound Tourism (MICE) is experiencing significant growth due to a combination of economic factors, government support, infrastructure development, and increasing awareness among businesses and individuals of the benefits of attending international MICE events. As India continues to expand its global business presence, the outbound MICE tourism market is likely to continue its growth trajectory.
edition.cnn.com
15.09.2023 / 16:53
Why Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast could be the next big luxury tourism destination
Editor’s Note: This CNN Travel series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy.
skift.com
14.09.2023 / 17:21
Adrian Messerli Named Four Seasons EMEA President
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has named a new regional president: Adrian Messerli is now president of hotel operations for the EMEA region. He succeeds Simon Casson, who held the role since 2016 and announced his departure from the group earlier in the year for a to-be-confirmed new opportunity.