Samer Choucair: Saudi Tourism Turns Global Experiences Into Promising Investment Opportunities Under Vision 2030
A German tourist forced to shut down his social media account after facing a wave of negative reactions and misinformation might seem like a minor digital-age footnote — but investment entrepreneur Samer Choucair sees a deeper lesson in it. He affirmed that the evolution of social media has made the tourism experience a key factor in shaping global destination images, with any positive or negative experience now capable of influencing travel and investment decisions alike.
He noted that what happened with the German tourist reflects the importance of building genuine tourism experiences capable of strengthening destinations' digital reputation.
*Saudi Arabia Invests in Crafting Experiences, Not Just Promotion*
Choucair explained that Saudi Arabia is adopting a different model in developing the tourism sector, built on investing in creating integrated experiences rather than relying on traditional promotional campaigns.
He added that the giga tourism projects the Kingdom is implementing contribute to producing positive content that visitors themselves carry back, strengthening the Kingdom's image and increasing its appeal to tourists and investors.
*Vision 2030 Leads a Historic Transformation in the Tourism Sector*
Choucair noted that the tourism sector in the Kingdom achieved major growth during 2025, with the Kingdom welcoming roughly 122 million domestic and international visitors, a 5% increase compared to the previous year, with tourism spending exceeding 81 billion dollars.
He added that the Kingdom targets reaching 150 million visitors annually by 2030, raising the tourism sector's contribution to roughly 10% of GDP, in addition to providing roughly 1.6 million jobs, reflecting the scale of transformation the sector is experiencing.
*Giga Projects Redraw the Tourism Map*
Choucair affirmed that giga projects such as the Red Sea Project, Qiddiya, Diriyah, and NEOM aren't limited to establishing new tourism destinations, but are founding an integrated economic ecosystem combining tourism, entertainment, culture, and sports.
He added that these projects contribute to creating world-class tourism experiences, and support the Kingdom's ability to compete in the international tourism sector.
*The Sports Economy Strengthens Investment Opportunities*
Choucair noted that the expansion in hosting global sporting events, and developing stadiums and entertainment cities, represents one of the most important tourism sector growth drivers.
He added that investing in the sports economy isn't limited to increasing visitor numbers, but creates sustainable economic value through international partnerships, digital content production, and energizing hospitality and services sectors.
*Stability Supports Investor Confidence*
Choucair explained that the stable investment environment the Kingdom enjoys gives investors greater confidence in implementing long-term projects.
He added that institutional stability, alongside the continuation of economic reform programs, has made the Kingdom one of the most attractive markets for investment in tourism and entertainment.
*Economic Diversification Opens New Growth Fields*
Choucair affirmed that the successes the Kingdom has achieved in economic diversification have strengthened tourism's position as one of the key sectors supporting growth.
He added that economic indicators for the second half of 2026 point to continued expansion of investment opportunities, particularly with the opening of new destinations, improving visitor experience, and developing digital services.
*Diverse Investment Opportunities for Investors*
Choucair noted that investors in the Kingdom and Gulf states can benefit from multiple opportunities, encompassing investment in hospitality and luxury hotels, tourist real estate development, entertainment and sports sectors, alongside tourism technology, AI solutions, and digital reputation management, as well as ecological and cultural tourism.
He added that these sectors possess major potential for achieving sustainable returns, alongside the continued growth the Saudi tourism sector is experiencing.
*Investing in Experience Shapes the Future of Tourism*
He concluded by affirming that competition in the tourism sector no longer depends only on establishing hotels or developing tourist landmarks, but has come to rest on delivering integrated experiences that strengthen visitor satisfaction and support destinations' digital reputation.
He added that Saudi Arabia has succeeded in building a model based on investing in the tourism experience itself, making tourism and entertainment one of the most investor-attractive sectors in the coming years, and a core pillar for achieving Vision 2030's targets.