Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) has expanded its strategic collaboration with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and Petal Ads, the advertising arm of HMS, to enhance tourists’ travel experience and boost Chinese tourism to Saudi Arabia.
The partnership aims to revolutionize the way tourists explore the country through increased digitization of travel services, with a special focus on attracting Chinese tourists to the kingdom, said a statement.
Fahd M. Hamidaddin, CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority, and Walter Ji Rengui, President of Huawei Consumer Cloud Service Global Ecosystem Development & Operations, signed the MoU during the Approved Destination Status (ADS) launch ceremony held in Beijing.
The signing reflects both parties’ ongoing collaboration and continued shared commitment to promote Saudi Arabia as a unique and dynamic destination to Chinese audiences, it said.
By integrating Huawei Mobile Services’ advanced technology solutions, tourists visiting Saudi Arabia will enjoy a smarter travel experience and will have access to a range of innovative tools and applications that simplify their travel journey. From seamless navigation and language translation services to augmented reality-guided tours, this collaboration aims to ensure that tourists can make the most of their time while traveling.
Through this collaboration, STA seeks to leverage cutting-edge technology to offer tourists an unparalleled experience while showcasing the rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and warm hospitality that Saudi has to offer. It further represents Saudi Arabia’s commitment to deliver tailored and seamless experiences for Chinese visitors with accessible support available throughout the duration of the visitor journey, said the statement.
In partnership with Petal Ads, STA is making substantial efforts to welcome an increasing number of Chinese tourists to explore the beauty and wonder of Saudi Arabia. The collaboration includes targeted marketing campaigns across various platforms to raise awareness about the diverse tourist attractions and unique experiences the country has to offer to the Chinese audience.
Choon Yang Quek, Chief Technology Officer, STA, said: “The partnership with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and Petal Ads is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider approach to marketing tourism and travel experiences that transform the visitor experience. Huawei has a deep connection with its consumers, which combined with Saudi’s dedication to visitor experiences, we are now able to reach new audiences more effectively via established Huawei channels and tap into new insights on Chinese travelers to better tailor their journey in Saudi Arabia.”
Alhasan Aldabbagh, President of APAC Markets at STA, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and Petal Ads to enhance the travel experience of tourists visiting Saudi. By making Huawei’s cutting-edge technology an integral part of the travel experience, we can tap into established channels to reach a much wider audience and develop a deeper understanding of potential visitors. Through this partnership, we are reaffirming our commitments set out under Vision 2030 and are delivering tailored and custom experiences for Chinese travelers.”
Walter Ji Rengui said: “We are delighted to partner with the Saudi Tourism Authority in this exciting collaboration. By integrating our advanced technology solutions, we aim to provide tourists visiting Saudi with an enhanced and seamless travel experience. This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation and our dedication to transforming the tourism industry for the better.”
Meanwhile, STA executives participated in the VIP panel discussion at the HDC ‘Together 2023 in China’. The discussion aimed to highlight the mutual benefits of tourism collaboration between the two nations and explore new avenues for cross-cultural exchange.
