AlUla Receives Accreditation From Destinations International

AlUla has become the first destination in the Middle East to receive accreditation from Destinations International, a US-based tourism elevation organisation.

The certification is part of the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), and recognises destination marketing organisations for quality, professionalism and experience. This comes one year after AlUla joined Destinations International as the first member from the region.

Since its opening four years ago, AlUla has established itself as a luxury tourist and heritage destination, offering year-round events and hospitality options, and positioning itself as the place to go for arts, culture, nature, wellness and adventure.

To earn the certification, AlUla met over 100 performance standards in areas such as governance, stakeholder engagement, financial management and destination development.

The new Destinations International accreditation is the most recent in a list of accolades for AlUla. In May, the Saudi city was named the leading cultural tourism project in the Middle East at the World Travel Awards Middle East, for the second consecutive year. It also received special recognition as the leading festival and event destination in the Middle East.

The Royal Commission for AlUla has also earned a five-star rating for organisational excellence, from the European Foundation for Quality Management, as well as the Excellence Award from the Middle East Facility Management Association.