Seera to support Saudi Arabia’s tourism strategy with SAR 1 bln in investments

Saudi-based travel giant Seera Group, formerly known as Al Tayyar Travel Group, has announced an investment of over SAR 1 billion to develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector, covering promotion, distribution, infrastructure and Saudi human capital development.

This was announced by Abdullah Al Dawood, board member and group CEO of Seera Group, at the signing of an agreement with Ahmed Al Khateeb, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) in Riyadh on Friday.

"Our investment highlights our commitment to build the tourism value chain of the kingdom, as Saudi Arabia enters a new era of growth," Al Dawood said.

"In this transformation of the tourism sector, the private sector will play a key role in enabling global visitors to experience the rich and diverse cultural heritage and modern attractions of the kingdom."

This coincides with the launch of the new tourism visa.

Seera Group has announced three broad pillars as part of the new investment - to launch a destination management company, build the mid-market hospitality sector, and focus on human capital development by training Saudi youth for careers in the tourism industry.

Seera Group is investing SAR 500 million in destination management services, which will develop necessary assets such as desert camps, city bus tours, unique guided tours and other tourism experiences, it said.

The Group will also develop unique itineraries in collaboration with SCTH to meet both domestic tourism and the demand of international inbound customers, as well as shedding light on Saudi Arabia’s best touristic features.

And in order to drive the development of the mid-market segment, Seera Group has recently conducted a partnership with Choice Hotels to manage and operate medium-sized hotels, and is currently developing seven hotels in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Taif. The goal is to develop and operate 6,000 room keys by 2022, with Seera already investing over SAR 500 million.

“One of the significant global trends in tourism is the rise of the millennial travelers, who are concerned about the value-for-money and aspire culturally relevant, tech-driven hospitality environments. So, establishing a network of mid-market hotels is currently a top priority,” said Al-Dawood.

Seera Group is also focused on human capital development by strengthening the skillsets of Saudi youth for careers in the tourism sector.

“Investing in our youth is an important building block for our industry and we have launched several initiatives that will help identify, nurture, hire and build a dynamic Saudi workforce who will contribute to the kingdom’s tourism sector growth,” he added.

Seera launched earlier this month Al-Mosafer Academy to support Saudi calibers working in the tourism sector, as well as to promote local content.

The academy provides an intensive 10-week employment program, during which talented Saudi men and women will be gaining knowledge and getting guidance on several sales, operational and leadership skills.

Such initiatives have made the group one of the Middle East travel giants, with bookings exceeding SAR 9 billion and a 58 percent market share in terms of the Kingdom’s online bookings, as well as a market share of 25 percent of the government and corporate bookings.

The group has four main business units, Elaa (a travel management firm), consumer travel units Al Modafer and Tajawal, Mawasim (for Hajj and Umrah), the hospitality unit, and two brands for car rentals and investments.

“We are grateful to our wise leadership for giving us the opportunity to unleash our real capabilities in the sector, and inspiring us to offer the best and establish a new model for tourism development in the Kingdom,” Al-Dawood added.