Responsible travel

The key to sustainable travel lies in making a trip that has a positive impact, so that people and nature at your destination can benefit and future generations can also enjoy all the beauty for a long time to come.

Currently, by traveling we leave an ecological footprint. Saudiarabie.com helps you make step-by-step more conscious choices that contribute to a better world: better for the preservation of nature and culture, better for the local population and good for your own awareness, so that you leave a smaller footprint in the future. The flight to your destination causes the most emissions. This needs to change by innovating on eco-friendly aircraft, alternative fuels, integration of renewable energy, and so on. However, travel has a positive impact on the world in more ways than one. We are happy to tell you why.

1. Nature Conservation

Natural areas, in principle, have no interest in travelers. However, if no visitors come at all, there is a risk that the area will be exploited for activities such as logging, agriculture or oil extraction. However, when a nature area generates income from visitors who responsibly pay to visit it, it promotes conservation. This encourages the protection of the landscape and the wildlife that lives there.

2. Cultural preservation

Maintaining cultural heritage is usually easier to finance when travelers are willing to pay for their visit. This applies to museums, monuments and other cultural sites. When local customs and traditions are under pressure, travelers can ensure that local communities can maintain their way of life by contributing to the revenue.

3. Local employment

In many destinations, a large proportion of the population works in the tourism sector. Worldwide, there are more than 300 million jobs in this sector, mostly in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Stopping travel would have disastrous consequences especially for Third World countries. In fact, travelers provide jobs for guides, cab drivers and chambermaids, among others, allowing them to provide for themselves and their families independently.

4. Poverty Reduction

Travel helps reduce poverty and strengthens economies through a redistribution of wealth that provides people with access to education and health care but also improves a country's infrastructure, for example. When travelers consciously decide to spend their money in local communities, the entire community benefits from increased income. This results in increased disposable income for local residents, which benefits the community.

5. Connection

Travel brings us into contact with other cultures, and thanks to the exchange of experiences and insights, it becomes easier to understand the norms and values of others. Our frame of reference broadens, and prejudices give way to new ways of thinking. Travel promotes empathy, as people briefly put themselves in the shoes of others. Moreover, knowledge expands within the traveler's family and friend group.

6. Personal happiness

Travel brings people an abundance of positivity and joy. While traveling, we momentarily forget the daily grind and shift our focus to a fresh, new outlook on life and ourselves. Traveling brings joy in life through precious moments with loved ones and it stimulates our spirit. We break stuck patterns and are encouraged to step outside our comfort zone. A different environment and routine have a positive impact on our well-being.

Red Sea Global

The leading example of sustainable and regenerative tourism in Saudi Arabia is Red Sea Global where tourism and nature conservation go hand in hand. For example, no wastewater is discharged into the sea, no single-use plastics are used, and the resorts must operate completely climate-neutral. The goal is not just sustainable tourism, but regenerative tourism: not preserving the destination as it is, but making it better.

That means not only protecting the fragile coral off the coast, but actively raising endangered plant species to enhance nature. Less than 1% of the entire area will be developed and 75% of the islands will remain untouched. Nine islands are protected areas, as the Red Sea is home to numerous vulnerable animals and plants, including 175 species of coral, 195 species of fish and dugongs, or Indian manatees. Their protection should receive a new boost from the revenue generated by Red Sea Global.

Here read more about the Red Sea Global.