SxiftX Showcase: Destinations

Destination marketers are looking for more ways to interact directly with visitors since suppliers like hotels, airlines, and travel agencies typically manage customer relationships. By partnering with companies that can deliver data and insights that accurately track visitation, destinations can better engage with real people who are a good fit for repeat business.

As traditionally popular destinations buckle under the pressure of overtourism, Abu Dhabi is cleverly positioning itself as the smarter alternative for discerning travellers who value meaningful engagement.

As the experience economy evolves the travel industry, brands are under pressure to meet rising expectations for activity-led bookings. In a fireside chat at Skift Global Forum East, Ross McAuley, MD advisor and director general of Play Qiddiya City DMMO, pulled back the curtain on how play serves as a bridge between destinations and travelers in this new reality.

Balancing tourism with sustainability is no small feat, but Red Sea Global has shown it’s up to the challenge. At this year’s Skift Global Forum East, Rosanna Chopra discussed how the company’s commitment to responsible travel is shaping Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast into a global destination for luxury and exploration.

Play is essential to human well-being, and travelers, especially younger ones, are increasingly likely to plan trips around sports, music, and other entertainment and cultural events. As a result, providing opportunities for play is becoming essential for travel companies and destinations as the centerpiece of their growth, development, and marketing strategies.

While becoming a popular destination may benefit local economies, overtourism also comes with environmental and cultural downsides. Spain’s various regions demonstrate unique ways to simultaneously inspire growth and prioritize sustainability, modeling the future of responsible tourism in one of the most visited regions in the world.

By hitting the sweet spot between upscale design-led properties and budget-friendly accommodation, Rove Hotels has created a unique niche in the region’s lifestyle hospitality segment by focusing on sustainability, community, and a fresh, innovative approach.

As Saudi Arabia targets five million Chinese tourists by 2030, Almosafer (part of Seera Group) plans to help the country tap into one of the world’s largest tourist markets through customized itineraries, targeted marketing, and strategic partnerships.

In a bid to tackle the challenges posed by an influx of tourists in 2023, Lanzarote is redefining its tourism strategy to prioritize sustainability. Turismo Lanzarote CEO Héctor Fernández Manchado shares his insights on the island’s initiatives to balance growth with environmental protection and future opportunities for responsible tourism.

Careful planning is required to balance a surge in heritage tourism with the delicate responsibility of protecting the historic sites that hold so much appeal. At this year’s Skift Global Forum, Melanie de Souza of the Royal Commission for AlUla discussed the region’s blueprint for sustainable heritage travel in the modern age.