“Google” revealed new data showing that the Saudis this summer explored local destinations instead of traveling abroad, as the Kingdom ranked third in the Arab world in terms of searching rates for “local leave” after Tunisia and the Sultanate of Oman.
With a 35 percent increase in research operations related to “Staycation” during June and July (July), it seemed clear that domestic tourism has become a favorite choice for many Saudi families, especially with the diversity of terrain and activities available within the Kingdom.
Local destinations top the research
Google data showed that Riyadh, Jeddah, Al -Wajh, Jizan and Madinah witnessed a remarkable increase in research as tourist destinations compared to 2024.
In a special interview with Asharq Al -Awsat, Marwa Justt, the director of communication and media at Google, returns this increase to “geographical diversity in the Kingdom, where people can enjoy coastal or mountainous cities, or even go to more moderate areas of temperature.”
Saudis’ interests in vacations
According to Google, travelers are not limited to choosing the destination only, but also includes many details that make the ideal travel experience. Some are looking for places close to swimming pools, and others prefer accommodation options at reasonable prices.
Family trips also play a big role, so interest in activities for children increases. And for those who love nature, the desire to spend time appears with camping sites. As for animal lovers, they ask about places that allow their pets to take.
According to “Google”, these details confirm that the leave today is no longer just a “destination”, but rather a “integrated experience” that is based on comfort and allocation. This also reflects families’ desire to spend comfortable and suitable vacations for all family members without leaving the country.
“Jimna” … in the service
One of the most prominent developments in this context is the Saudis relying on artificial intelligence tools to plan their trips. Marwa Khost says that some users in the Kingdom use the “Google” smart assistant “Jimna” to plan their trips based on personal criteria. The tool supports Arabic and local dialects, and can be used through the application or browser.
“It has become common to see requests such as: (Give me a plan for a family trip in the city of the face for two days), or (What is the best restaurants with a look in Jizan?). These requests (Jimnai) meet by merging the results of (Google) maps and search engine, and providing a unified experience to the user.
All categories … and all dialects
When asked about the age groups or the most active areas in the searches, Marwa explained that “the indicators include a variety of age groups from different regions of the Kingdom,” noting that “caring for domestic tourism is no longer limited to another region.”
With regard to the challenges of understanding dialects, she stressed that the multi -language linguistic model of “Jimnai” enabled the tool to understand and generate content in Saudi local dialects with high accuracy, and the evidence for this is the increase in the number of videos born in dialects on the platform in recent weeks.
Interior tourism … a constant orientation?
Is this trend temporary or long? Marwa answers: “Although the summer, by its nature, is witnessing an active tourist movement due to school holidays, we note continuous growth in caring for domestic tourism in the Kingdom, especially with the diversity of events and seasons throughout the year.”
She also emphasized that “Google” is in constant contact with the tourist and governmental authorities in Saudi Arabia, which may contribute in the future to developing travel experiences based on accurate and renewed data.
A tool to understand society
It is striking that these data are available to everyone through the “Google Indicators” platform, which provides live and free information on the most research topics.
Marwa indicates that the company seeks to share these data in a seasonal way, to conclude the year with a list that summarizes the interests of users in Saudi Arabia and the region.
She remembers during her talk to Asharq Al -Awsat that “during the summer season, Saudi Arabia ranked third in the Arab world in terms of interest in local tourism, followed by Egypt in fourth place. This reflects the Kingdom’s focus on providing rich and varied local experiences. ”
These indicators show a shift in the behavior of users, as the local leave has become a deliberate and supportive option with smart tools such as “Jimna”. Also, the multiplicity of options inside the Kingdom, from beaches to the mountains, and from camps to modern cities, makes Saudi Arabia an integrated tourist destination.
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