With no end in sight to the current surge in international tourism – worldwide, visitor numbers are up by 4% this year – and concern mounting about the impact of this growth on the environment, a new player in the global tourism market is pointing the way towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Saudi Arabia may be a latecomer to the international leisure tourism market but it has the ambition and the spending power to show the industry a better way forward.
A series of massive, multi-billion dollar “giga-projects” across the Kingdom will soon be showcasing the country’s natural and cultural wonders to millions of visitors, all while supporting local communities, protecting heritage and preserving the spectacular landscapes and seascapes of Saudi Arabia for future generations.
Foremost among these initiatives is the Red Sea Project, an ultra-luxury destination that is currently under development on the shores of the Red Sea, covering untouched islands, dramatic desert landscapes and stunning coral seas.
“The environment here is our most valuable asset,” Pagano says. “We will do everything in our power to protect it.”
Q&A with John Pagano, CEO, Red Sea Development Company
How important is sustainability to the Red Sea Project?
Sustainability pervades all areas of our organization. I have not experienced anything like this before: everyone is focused on sustainability.
We share the same values, wherever we are and whatever our position. We are pushing boundaries and breaking habits. For example, if a catering organization cannot deliver non-single use plastic, then we will not use them.
How will you not just protect but enhance the environment?
If ecosystems are threatened and challenged daily by plastics or predator species, then doing nothing is not an option. It is simple for us to get rid of predators that should not be on an island and are eating the eggs of birds and turtles.
Again, this area has suffered from over-fishing. By closing fishing in the area for a period we will help replenish fish stocks, while providing alternative employment opportunities for the boat captains and fishermen. Again, this area has suffered from over-fishing. By closing fishing in the area for a period we will help replenish fish stocks, while providing alternative employment opportunities for the boat captains and fishermen.
With measures such as these, we think that we will be able to enhance the amazing environment of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast.
How much interest are you seeing internationally?
Saudi Arabia is transforming. The new eVisa received a lot of attention and we are beginning to inspire people. We need to start to educate the world about our treasures. With the eVisa, people will have the opportunity to come here and travel relatively easily and inexpensively throughout the Kingdom for the very first time.
What will conditions be like at the Coastal Village for workers?
These are the people who are going to build our destination and we need to take care of them. It is hard enough that they are away from home. We want to give them better living conditions. There will be welfare and leisure facilities, such as cricket fields, football pitches, gyms and golf simulators. There will be medical facilities and catering facilities that cater to different cuisines.
The norm in projects like this is to build bathroom and shower facilities on lots outside the buildings. But we are going to build more units close to the bedrooms so they do not have to walk outside in the night to use them.
We are not passing this work on to a contractor who has no incentive to do things right: this will all be under our own control.
“Our goal is to enhance the natural ecosystems that make this destination so unique”
John Pagano, CEO, Red Sea Development Company
How will new technologies help protect the environment?
Being smart means above all enabling real-time monitoring of the environment. If we see any trends in the real-time data that concern us, we will be able to intervene immediately. We can also use Big Data and data analytics to help run our utilities more efficiently, consuming less energy. These systems will run throughout the organization: they will support us with security and traffic management, they will enable new forms of payment and entertainment and they will help our guests plan their itineraries and enjoy the perfect experience when they are here. But the top priority is to protect the surrounding environment.
How will visitors to the Red Sea Project benefit from this commitment to sustainability?
People do not want just to be visitors. They want to be immersed in the place they visit. They do not want to be inside a structure – they want to be in nature. Here, we will make all of that happen for them.
What we build will be in keeping with nature. Our guests will be able to enjoy all the natural wonders of this place, from exploring the landscape to diving among coral to observing the stars in the desert sky, in a way that will simply not be possible anywhere else. They will enjoy incredible, authentic experiences that will last them a whole lifetime
