NEW DELHI: One of the most memorable sights Ajinkya Bhat saw during her trip to Saudi Arabia was the Edge of the World, a geological wonder in the desert northwest of Riyadh.
Located about 100 km from the capital, on the edge of the 800 km long Tuwaiq Mountains, this 1,131 metre high cliff gets its nickname from the uninterrupted views to the horizon that can be enjoyed from its summit.
Bhatt first saw the view several years ago, and on a recent trip in March, he made the special drive up to the mountain to see it again.
“First time, we went to see the sunrise. This time, we went to see the sunset,” the 32-year-old man from Pune told Arab News.
“Saudi Arabia has a lot of pristine natural scenery. It has some really amazing beaches. There’s the east coast, the west coast, the center – it’s a mix that tourists should go and check out.”
But it’s not just the scenery that drew him to Saudi Arabia: Bhat’s first trip there was for the Formula E championship, which the kingdom has been hosting since 2018, and nature, adventure and a little luxury are his main criteria for a good trip.
“It’s a good place to go on holiday. Saudi Arabia ticks all the boxes,” he said. “You don’t have to go to Europe or America.”
Bhat is part of a growing number of affluent Indian travellers under the age of 35 who are choosing the Middle East as their international travel destination, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the majority of their choice.
Saloni Aneja, 29, from Chandigarh, visited the UAE in January and said she found everything she needed during her holiday.
“It has a lot of different things, adventure parks, shopping complexes. There is a lot to see, including the Museum of the Future. It is fantastic,” she told Arab News, already planning her next trip.
“The younger generation these days, the youth, they believe they should travel the world, they should travel and explore, not just save up their money and keep it in their locker,” Aneja said.
“I would love to explore different parts of the world. I would love to visit Saudi Arabia.”
The Future of Travel report by marketing firm FINN Partners, released last month on the spending trends of young global travelers in India, found that travellers are increasingly choosing the two Gulf countries over other countries.
“The Middle East region as a whole continues to attract young Indian travellers with its mix of luxury and rich history,” Thomas Morris, a senior partner at the agency, told Arab News. “We found that 55 percent of Indians under the age of 35 have already visited the UAE, compared with 45 percent in Saudi Arabia.”
Respondents were under 35 years of age, lived in major Indian cities, were “inclined to travel internationally” and had the means to do so.
“One of the key findings is the willingness of young Indian travellers to spend on what we call ‘once in a lifetime experiences’ – 42% are willing to pay more for these experiences,” Morris said.
“Focusing specifically on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, we see that they are particularly attracted to luxury first and adventure sports second – the desert and ziplining in the UAE, trekking to AlUla and Saudi Arabia.”
He observes that these traits set young travelers apart from previous generations, who preferred to plan every detail in advance.
“The next generation is impulsive and ready to jump at opportunities when they arise. I think the UAE and Saudi Arabia are capitalizing on these mini international adventures,” he said, adding that in Saudi Arabia’s case, its current marketing strategies to attract more and more tourists from India are also helping to attract young Indians.
Saudi Arabia is set to welcome more than 1.5 million Indian tourists in 2023, 50 percent more than in 2022, thanks to a series of initiatives last year including sponsorship of the Indian Premier League, a men’s T20 franchise that is the world’s most-watched cricket league.
The Saudi Arabian Tourism Authority plans to welcome 7.5 million Indian tourists by 2030, by which time India is expected to become Saudi Arabia’s largest inbound tourism market.
“This new generation is digitally savvy and makes a lot of decisions based on what they see on social media, and Saudi Arabia is taking advantage of that,” Morris said.
“They want to be a hot destination for Indian travellers and are investing heavily in that.”
Jatin Kumar, 32, from Haryana, visited Saudi Arabia in March.
“Saudi Arabia is now developing, attracting more tourists and building more attractions,” he said.
“I went to Riyadh, I went to Jeddah, I went to Dammam… I got to know a lot of Saudi Arabian culture… I really loved it.”