Saudi Arabia has made a big change in its tourism strategy by embracing LGBTQ+ visitors. This is good news for the LGBTQ+ community looking to travel to Saudi Arabia in the future.
The Saudi Tourism Authority official tourist website was updated on Monday, has changed its website to state that “everyone” is welcome in the country and that personal information is not sought.
“We don’t ask anyone to disclose personal details and never have. Everyone is welcome to visit our country.”
Couples who are not married are also welcome to visit Saudi Arabia as long as they behave in a “culturally sensitive manner,” and women should dress modestly when visiting public beaches.
Interestingly, the amended advice section received no announcement; it was made public by Twitter users who discovered the change earlier this week, with some initially assuming the updated guideline was a hoax.
This move is part of the country’s efforts to attract more tourists, especially in the lucrative LGBTQ+ sector.
However, given the country’s history of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, it remains to be seen whether LGBTQ+ travellers will feel comfortable visiting Saudi Arabia.
Despite this, some experts feel that Saudi Arabia might become a gay-friendly destination if the authorities take more steps to promote LGBTQ+ safety and inclusion.
