RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s domestic tourism is fueling a significant expansion in the Kingdom’s travel sector, with domestic bookings now making up over 40 percent of Almosafer’s overall travel market, according to CEO Muzzammil Ahussain. 

This growth is underscored by a 45 percent year-on-year increase in domestic flight bookings in 2024, alongside a 39 percent rise in room night bookings, according to Almosafer’s latest travel trend report, released during the third Saudi Tourism Forum held in Riyadh. 

The surge is linked to the country’s expanding tourism offerings and enhanced connectivity through low-cost carriers, with family and group travel seeing a particular boost, rising over 70 percent, the report added.

“The country has invested heavily in creating offerings and events to support domestic tourism,” Ahussain told Arab News on the sidelines of the event. “We see continued strength and sustainability in this, so we remain focused on domestic tourism.”

Almosafer, a Saudi travel company and part of Seera Group, is benefiting from this trend as domestic tourism becomes more sustainable. “In the report, over 40 percent of all of our bookings are now domestic,” Ahussain explained. “That doesn’t mean international travel is slowing down; overall travel is growing.”

He said flight prices dropped 7 percent year on year, prompting higher spending in destinations. “People are spending more on hotels, staying longer, and spending on experiences and events,” Ahussain said. “So overall, total spend is increasing.”

Despite the growth, challenges remain. Almosafer CEO said that the limited hotel supply during peak times, such as Riyadh season, leads to higher rates and makes it difficult for travelers to find accommodations. 

“We’ve already seen a number of initiatives to improve hotel capacity and rooms across the country,” Ahussain said, adding that such improvements would make domestic tourism more attractive at all levels, from luxury to economy. 

The company’s ongoing efforts to enhance partnerships with regional authorities and airlines are also key to this growth, and Almosafer said it collaborates closely with the Saudi Tourism Authority and regional bodies like the Aseer Investment Authority.

“We’ve had a number of signings at the Saudi Tourism Forum with different authorities from around the country to promote and market key destinations,” he added.

Ahussain also highlighted the strong partnerships Almosafer has with low-cost carriers like flynas and flyadeal, as well as its new partnership with Riyadh Air, which is set to launch later in 2025.

Looking ahead, Ahussain is optimistic about the impact of global events, such as Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup, on the Kingdom’s tourism sector. “These projects and events, as we saw with Expo 2020 Dubai, help build a brand for a city or country, and that brand creates awareness,” Ahussain said.

He continued: “When people come, whether domestically or internationally, we are working to build a foundation that supports them throughout their travel — before, during, and after these events.”

Almosafer is also preparing for an initial public offering as part of its long-term strategy, with a target IPO date in 2025 or 2026.

“In November 2023, Seera Group announced that Almosafer would be targeted for an IPO in two to three years,” he said. 

“We’re still on track with that plan and working toward it.”

With domestic tourism growing rapidly, Almosafer is enhancing its digital offerings through partnerships aimed at streamlining travel services. 

During the forum, Almosafer signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Tourism Authority to integrate digital platforms, enhancing access to travel services. 

Ahussain explained that the partnership also aimed to improve Sara Al, the smart guide for Saudi tourism, by adding booking services for flights and accommodations.

RIYADH: Saudi low-cost airline flynas launched its first direct flight between Jeddah and Djibouti on Jan. 8, further expanding its network in Africa. 

According to a press statement, the inaugural celebration was held at King Abdulaziz International Airport and was attended by Djibouti’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama and representatives from flynas and Jeddah Airport Co. 

The inaugural flight was welcomed at the African country by Faisal Al-Qabbani, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Djibouti, and Hassan Humad Ibrahim, theDjibouti’s minister of infrastructure and transport. 

The expansion is part of the airline’s “We Connect the World to the Kingdom” initiative and supports Saudi Arabia’s National Civil Aviation Strategy, which aims to expand connectivity to 250 international destinations and reach 330 million passengers.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen the Kingdom’s National Tourism Strategy, which aims to attract more than 150 million tourists by the end of this decade. 

In the statement, flynas said it will operate three weekly flights from Jeddah to Djibouti. 

Flyadeal launches five new routes

In a separate statement, Saudi low-cost airline flyadeal said that it launched five routes from its operating bases of Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah, marking the start of a major expansion drive that includes entry to Pakistan next month.

According to the statement, the routes include 14 domestic flights a week from Dammam to Najran, Tabuk, and Yanbu. 

The airline said that it launched flights from Riyadh and Jeddah to the Jordanian capital, Amman, with a total of 10 flights a week. 

The statement added that preparations are also underway for the start of twice-weekly flights to Pakistan’s financial capital, Karachi, from Riyadh and Jeddah, effective Feb. 2. 

“Expanding our domestic and international networks has been the focus of our planning team in recent months to provide leisure and business travelers with more choice, options and more importantly, greater air connectivity,” said Steven Greenway, CEO of flyadeal. 

He added: “As more aircraft join flyadeal’s fleet during 2025, we will continue to inject additional capacity into our three bases with new routes and extra frequencies, part of a system wide expansion plan over the next 12 months.” 

Launched in 2017, flyadeal currently serves almost 30 year-round and seasonal destinations in Saudi Arabia and selected Middle East, European, and North African cities. The airline operates a fleet of 36 Airbus A320 narrowbody aircraft.