skiff take

Choon Yang Quek certainly has his work cut out. Seeing how he juggles between convincing travelers that this is the new Saudi and educating locals that the Saudis need to open up to the world is Interesting.

Peden Doma Butia

“So what does the Chief Technology Officer do at the Tourism Board?” Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali told a session at the Skift Global Forum that the Saudi We started with a million dollar question with Choon Yang Quek.

Kwek, who moved from the Singapore Tourism Board where he held the same position, said Saudi Arabia is a new destination, especially when the future of tourism is perceived from a purely digital-first or digital-only vision. He said he offers unknown possibilities.

And then there is the big task of convincing the world that this is the new Saudi and educating the locals that Saudi is changing and needs to be open to the world.

Needless to say, Quek said, “Saudi Arabia has big ambitions.” In a country that recently introduced tourist visas, his goal of 100 million visitors a month by 2030 is nothing short of ambitious.

Quek said Saudi Arabia has barely scratched the surface, adding that Saudi Arabia is learning a lot about the foreign world as the influx of visitors to Saudi Arabia continues.

Reiterating the Saudi commitment to not only break down the environmental impact but also improve the environment, Quek said the construction of Neom and the Red Sea will remain ecologically stable.

About the Saudi Tourism Board and Skift to create a destination innovation index by the end of the year, Quek said: Next he is thinking about what travel should be in 20, 30, or 50 years. ”