Melanie de Souza, Executive Director – Destination Marketing, The Royal Commission for AlUla.In our world of branding and marketing, a quote from Margaret Molloy, former global chief marketing officer of Siegel+Gale, resonates deeply: “Some brands enter a market. Others enter a culture.”
This distinction, as subtle as it appears, holds the key to building successful, enduring and impactful brands. It is especially true here in Saudi Arabia, where heritage, spectacular pristine natural assets and a rapidly diversifying socio-economic landscape converge to fuel our tourism ambitions.
To me, ‘culture’ signifies the cultivation of generational values – the things that matter to people and communities over time. As tourism marketers, we recognise our people and our culture are our trump cards. We have a role to play in building greater cultural understanding. That is the foundation upon which some of the world’s most well-known and trusted brands have been built.
An understanding of culture was vital to campaigns such as Nike’s ‘Just Do It’ or the launch of ‘The Swedish Number’ by the Swedish Tourist Association. That lens is even more important now – not only to tap into domestic markets that may represent low-hanging fruit, but also to build greater cultural understanding, appreciation and respect for diverse global destinations.
Our home market of Saudi Arabia will always be a mainstay, the source of repeat visitation and our best prospect for what is an increasingly compelling events calendar. In Saudi Arabia, where a new wave of consumers has greater access than ever to a rapidly maturing domestic tourism, cultural and entertainment economy, we facilitate moments for cultural interactions and experiences where lasting memories can be forged.
Our year-round collection of celebrations, events and festivals under the banner of ‘AlUla Moments’ is delivered as an intentional act of storytelling. Our events elevate the role of visitors to active participants.
Today’s ‘thinking tourists’ are no longer appeased by cursory look-and-see experiences; they want to get under the skin of a place.
In AlUla, we’re actively contributing to this trend and pushing the needle forward on the experience economy, celebrating geographical uniqueness and offering cultural immersion.
“Audiences now recognise that culture can’t be ‘AirDropped’ – it must spring from the soul of a community.”
We recognise that our domestic market provides a solid base with referrals from Saudis resonating more because they come from ‘insiders’ – those who take a special pride in the fact that AlUla’s heritage and natural beauty is of global significance. They also recognise that AlUla – this jewel in the tourism crown of the Kingdom – is going about its journey of touristic development in a careful, considered and respectful way.
Our aspiration is to build a purposeful brand around our destination’s unique offering. Central to building a brand that truly enters culture nowadays is also a commitment to sustainability. Credibility relies on authentic integration of sustainability principles into operations at all levels and how the brand delivers at every touch point.
Indeed, for sustainability to become a genuine differentiator rather than a superficial add-on, brands must truly respect their environment, making conservation efforts ambitious, relentless and at the forefront of their offering.
Sustainability is the North Star that directs every action in AlUla. Guided by the 12 principles of the AlUla Sustainability Charter, we are implementing light-touch tourism, balanced agriculture and a circular economy based on scientific principles as well as a vision of long-term community growth with cultural empowerment.
Crucially, audiences also now recognise that culture can’t be ‘AirDropped’ – it must spring from the soul of a community. Accordingly, community is front and centre of our visitor experience. We’ve achieved this by instilling pride in local people for the tourism jewel they call home.
We create opportunities for education and entrepreneurship, initiatives that are reversing the trend of youth migration to other cities. We nurture home-grown talent, from chefs to artists, who take centre stage in culinary events, train alongside renowned international talent and showcase their skills to visitors.
Our Rawis – storytellers – offer guests unparalleled insights, making one-on-one interactions with local people
one of the most rewarding takeaways for visitors.
Our ability to balance authenticity with development remains an ongoing and nuanced endeavour, anchored in storytelling that celebrates AlUla’s rich heritage and natural beauty. We strive for our visitors to have the opportunity for genuine, transformative encounters with Saudi locals.
Today, our role – as marketers of a destination – has shifted to be less about the latest campaigns or chasing performance metrics and more about consistent messaging and advocacy – by subject-matter experts, by people who live and breathe AlUla and by satisfied customers.
When – not if – tourism recovers after the current geopolitical crisis, we will continue to use it to address misconceptions about Saudi Arabia, using real-world experiences to highlight the incredible hospitality, ancient culture and unparallelled transformation taking place in the Kingdom.
By embracing a community-centric, sustainable and advocacy-driven approach, we can not only realise the economic growth that tourism as a sector can provide but also achieve lasting cultural currency.
By Melanie de Souza, Executive Director – Destination Marketing, The Royal Commission for AlUla.
