The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) announced a new partnership aimed at expanding its global influencer marketing initiatives through a memorandum of understanding with a national marketing services firm.

The agreement focuses on identifying and engaging leading content creators across key international markets to promote Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings and global campaigns scheduled for 2025.

“This step is part of STA’s endeavour to raise awareness of the Kingdom’s unique tourist destinations and highlight cultural, heritage, and natural experiences,” the STA stated in a press release. The authority will expand its existing influencer database and develop selection criteria for content creators who will participate in future promotional campaigns.

This strategic move aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader “Vision 2030” objectives, which seek to diversify the nation’s economy through tourism sector growth and increased GDP contribution from non-oil revenue sources.

The International Olympic Committee announced in July the creation of the Olympic Esports Games, with the inaugural event set for 2025 in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom’s esports credentials include hosting over 1,700 elite players from more than 80 countries in major international tournaments over the past two years. These events have attracted nearly four million live spectators and garnered 1.3 billion views on various streaming platforms globally.

The STA’s focus on influencer partnerships reflects the growing importance of social media marketing in international tourism promotion.

TikTok reports that 71% of its European users actively search for travel content, with 77% making travel-related purchases after discovering destinations on the platform. Adobe’s research reveals that over 40% of TikTok’s 1B monthly users view the app as a search engine, with 20% specifically searching for travel destinations.