AlUla makes tourism history in Middle...

Ancient Saudi hub certified by Destinations International

Saudi Arabia’s ancient oasis city of AlUla has made history by receiving accreditation from US-based Destinations International, a professional organisation representing destination organisations and convention and visitor bureaus worldwide.

The certification is awarded as part of Destinations International's Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), which serves as a benchmark for destination marketing organisations to measure quality and professionalism.

The accreditation comes 12 months year after AlUla joined Destinations International as the first entity from the Middle East and the accomplishment makes it the first destination in the Middle East to be awarded the certification.

To obtain Destination Marketing accreditation, more than 100 performance standards must be met in areas including governance, stakeholder engagement, financial management and destination development.

These standards are set by an independent committee of industry experts representing a wide range of destination organisations and are updated periodically to reflect the evolution of best practices in the sector.

Since it first began welcoming visitors four years ago, AlUla has established itself as one of the Saudi's most significant tourism sites.

Chief Tourism Officer at the Royal Commission for AlUla, Philip Jones said: "We strive to develop AlUla's tourism industry and ecosystem to be best-in-class. This accreditation reaffirms our commitment to ensuring the highest standards in our destination and strengthening trust among visitors, stakeholders and partners.

"We hope that being part of Destinations International, home to best practices, will enable us to share our unique approach with the world and highlight everything that makes AlUla one of the world's leading luxury destinations today."

For more information, visit www.experiencealula.com

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