AlUla, an ancient oasis city located in Madinah Province, has earned a prestigious internationally recognized accreditation, establishing its status as an international tourist destination, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
New Achievement
In a remarkable milestone, AlUla has become the first destination in the Middle East to get the accreditation of the US-based Destinations International, a global association for destination professionals.
This achievement comes as part of the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), which is an industry standard for quality and professionalism among destination organizations. It also comes a year after AlUla joined Destinations International, to be the first member from the Middle East.
AlUla Status
AlUla has consolidated its position as one of the prime tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia since it started receiving tourists four years ago. This has been made possible through hosting a variety of events throughout the year, in addition to providing authentic hospitality options.
The recent accreditation is a testament to the progress AlUla has made in realizing its vision to reshape tourism excellence globally, based on creating a sustainable economy that benefits the community.
Phillip Jones, chief tourism officer at the Royal Commission for AlUla, said: “Completing the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program is a significant milestone for AlUla as we strive to develop a tourism industry and eco-system that is best-in-class and future-thinking.”
He added: “This recognition strengthens our commitment to ensuring the highest standards within our destination, and establishing trust among visitors, community, stakeholders and our partners. By being part of Destinations International, an incubator for best practices, we hope to share our unique methodology with the world and showcase just why AlUla is one of the most innovative and coveted luxury destination in the world right now.”
Earning DMAP accreditation requires meeting over 100 performance standards in domains such as governance, financial management, human resources, sales and marketing, stakeholder engagement and destination development. An independent committee including industry experts sets these standards. The committee regularly updates these standards to reflect the development of best practices in the industry.
AlUla Accomplishments
This latest accomplishment adds to AlUla’s list of prestigious awards. In May, the 2024 World Travel Awards selected AlUla as the Middle East’s Leading Cultural Tourism Project 2024; Middle East’s Leading Festival & Event Destination 2024; and Saudi Arabia’s Leading Cultural Tourism Project 2024.
Moreover, the Royal Commission for AlUla received a 5-star rating for organizational excellence from the European Foundation for Quality Management, and an excellence award from the Middle East Facility Management Association.
