Ashraf AboArafe
Riyadh – Visa, the world leader in digital payments, registered on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (V), revealed that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Tourism Authority to explore opportunities for cooperation and innovative initiatives that will enhance the journey of visitors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as marketing to the sector. Tourism in the Kingdom.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the two parties will establish a framework for cooperation to build the first tourism data laboratory in the region to provide information based on the list of data and travel and tourism trends, in a way that contributes to enabling the Saudi Tourism Authority and “Visa” and all stakeholders and stakeholders in the sector to make informed decisions based on knowledge. In support of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to achieve its tourism ambitions.
Visa and the Saudi Tourism Authority will also explore opportunities to launch Visa digital payment solutions and exclusive packages to enhance the experience of Visa cardholders and tourists coming to the Kingdom.
The MoU was signed by Walter Lironi, Vice President of Visa Consulting and Analytics for Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Abdulkarim Al-Darwish, CEO of Middle East and Africa Markets at the Saudi Tourism Authority, in Dubai during Arabian Travel Market 2023, the leading global event in the travel and tourism sector. In the Middle East.
In this context, Walter Lironi, Vice President of Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, Visa Consulting and Analytics said: “Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a tourism hub on the global tourism map by providing diverse and rich experiences awaiting visitors. The tourism sector is a key pillar in achieving the goals of tourism. Saudi Vision 2030 aims to diversify the sources of the local economy and create new job opportunities. Therefore, we are pleased to cooperate with the Saudi Tourism Authority to explore multiple paths through which we can enhance the tourism experience for visitors to the Kingdom and contribute to achieving its tourism ambitions.”
For his part, Abdul Karim Al-Darwish, CEO of Middle East and Africa markets at the Saudi Tourism Authority, said: “This agreement with Visa, the world leader in financial solutions, confirms the Saudi Tourism Authority’s keenness to enhance its capabilities by providing, exchanging and analyzing information, and providing solutions and products.” Financial programs, packages and promotions that contribute to improving the experience of tourists and attracting more segments from the main markets in the region.
This strategic collaboration is supported by the world’s largest payments database, VisaNet, which provides comprehensive data on inbound tourism and comprehensive insight into how governments can improve their cashless strategy. Information gleaned from the data includes visitor journeys and spending behavior across different categories, seasonality, digital transformation, and customer types, providing a comprehensive overview of how to create customer-centric payments experiences.
