In my book, destination marketing should challenge perceptions, should reveal what is unexpected and Saudi Arabia’s new global campaign, “This Land is Calling”, featuring a solo female traveller on an epic adventure through the kingdom, did it.
Albeit she looked a bit like a female Timothy Chalamet, weaving her way through the dunes, and I don’t imagine myself looking half as glamorous when I do that, it called to me, as a female traveller, sometimes solo, sometimes with a bunch of girlfriends, sometimes with family.
What was bolder was that she was without head covering in most of the scenes and, in one scene, sitting side by side with a local man by a campfire – challenging perceptions in Western markets that women have to be covered from head to toe and had to be hesitant about speaking to men while travelling in Saudi. “How do I greet them?” “Do I shake hands?” “Do I nod?” “Do I have to cover my head, my arms, my legs?”
These are all valid questions female travellers tend to ask when visiting Saudi Arabia for the first time.
I recall my first visit to Saudi Arabia in May with my American colleague, Kimberly Newbury, and she, ever the respectful and conscientious traveller, did a lot of research about how she should dress and behave.
I asked Kimberly what she thought of the campaign, and she said, “It was unexpectedly super-female, which addresses the elephant in the room in a bold and inspiring way.”
We didn’t see any elephants nor camels – saving that for the next trip and I’ll make sure I pack a new wardrobe – but we both had a wonderful trip, met lots of incredible women – you can read about my experience here.
The last campaign, featuring Lionel Messi, did not strike a chord with me. It came across to me as too male, too Western, and it could have been any destination with big buildings, each huger than the other. It was expected, almost predictable. Celebrity soccer player, big name, big buildings, big events.
This one is not.
I recall when Singapore launched its campaign, two years ago, called, “Think You Know Singapore”. It challenged perceptions that the city was boring and that once you’d been, you’d seen it all. It revealed many unexpected things about the tiny Red Dot.
The recent Visit Oslo video, “Is This Even A City?” had a dour-looking man walking around the city asking, “I wouldn’t even come here. Is it even a city?” – when there are no restaurants to queue for. It challenged thinking. It went the other way – be uncool, it’s alright.
With this new campaign, Saudi’s national tourism brand ‘Saudi, Welcome to Arabia’, took the bull by the horns (pardon the constant animal metaphors) and showed the beauty of the destination, as well as the beauty of the feminine.
It starts with the female protagonist saying in a tone laden with mystery and wonder, “I landed in an unexplored territory. I saw things you wouldn’t believe, eons of time passing through the palm of my hand, structures that defy logic …”
And off she goes, exploring the sights of the kingdom including Hegra, Saudi’s first UNESCO World Heritage, the deep blues of the Red Sea and snow-covered mountains – all sights you wouldn’t expect from this destination that’s opened its doors to international tourism just six years ago.
In the end, she says, “I was the first, but I won’t be the last.”
It was interesting that the day before the campaign dropped, I caught up with two young women executives from Singapore’s HalalTrip, and I asked them if they were promoting Saudi as a destination.
Said Raudha Zaini, strategic partners and projects lead, of the global community platform for Muslim travellers, “Yes, but we see it as more than umrah and haj travel. It’s more than that – it’s got so much to offer as a destination.” They told me they were working very closely with their partner in Saudi, Wojhat Travel & Tourism for travel packages.
The new campaign, brought to life in partnership with creative agency BET, is launching in Western markets, across the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and the United States.
Targeting the female traveller is a no-brainer. We know they make 80% of travel decisions, travel more than men, especially in Asia Pacific, and are getting more adventurous and intrepid than ever. Among my flock of women friends, I cannot keep up with their travel planning. One, an Australian, has booked a Norway-Iceland cruise in August 2026 to watch the solar eclipse. Another, a Singaporean, is busy researching for her upcoming land/cruise trip in Spain and Portugal. Another is taking a month out to do a road trip round Japan. The challenge and the opportunity is to get them to think of Saudi for their next adventure, and that’s what this campaign wants to do.
Intrepid Travel, for example, has introduced a 12-day Saudi Arabia Women’s Expedition, exclusively led by female leaders and guides, aiming to showcase a different side of the country. Starting in Riyadh and finishing in Jeddah, groups will stay in a female-owned boutique hotel, heritage property and desert camp, directly supporting a total of nine female-owned and operated businesses.
Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and a Member of the Board, Saudi Tourism Authority, said that with this campaign “we hope to ignite the curiosity of the traveller who craves the excitement of a completely new experience – whether in culture, adventure, sport, or entertainment.
“Saudi has been enjoying stellar growth in demand witnessing a 73 percent growth in the annual average of tourists from Europe and the United States, and we continue to work with local and global partners to increase and enrich our offerings, so the 150 million tourists we welcome by 2030 can truly experience the pulsating Heart of Arabia.”
Kudos to this campaign that’s packed with feminine heart.
