A rich culture and heritage. Saudi Arabia's first roadshow in China saw events held in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, promoting the country as a leisure destination.

Travel agencies, hotels, and airlines participated in the event, all emphasizing Saudi Arabia as the perfect holiday destination for Chinese travelers.

Abdulaziz Alsohibani, the sales director at Discover Saudi, a travel agency in Saudi Arabia for decades, has traveled from Saudi to China and participated in roadshows. "We are doing the event in three cities, cooperating with travel agencies in China, exhibiting more about Saudi Arabia, and promoting Saudi Arabia as an ideal place," Abdulaziz said.

Last year, Saudi Arabia welcomed 93.5 million visits. One of the goals of Riyadh's Vision 2030 plan is to position Saudi Arabia as one of the top holiday destinations globally.

China is an important source market for Saudi Arabia. In 2019, the country welcomed over 100,000 Chinese travelers. By 2030, it hopes to increase that number to 3.9 million and position China as one of the top sources of tourism. As Chinese holiday makers are essential to this vision, China-specific experiences, and packages will be launched.

A free stopover program and direct flights between China and Saudi Arabia are other measures. Later this year, a new direct flight from Beijing to Riyadh will be launched. In the future, we can expect more routes, more flights, and travel packages tailor-made for Chinese travelers.

"I think Saudi has a lot to offer the Chinese cultural seekers, wonder seekers, the places that have been untouched and undiscovered that are second to none. Saudi has been for years and decades and is not open, so it's the best-kept secret. So we are here to listen to our Chinese partners, to work with them, to support their growth with us together, and create a delightful journey for Chinese to Saudi Arabia,"  said Fahd Hamidaddin, the CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority.

Saudi Arabia has diverse experiences from adventure to culture, heritage, and nature, and over 10,000 archaeological sites and 6 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Saudi is looking to attract Chinese travelers in its bid to become one of the top holiday destinations in the world.