While ultra-high-net-worth travelers flock to Italy, Japan, and Greece, Stephanie Bowers sees Saudi Arabia as 2026’s most compelling opportunity for clients seeking six-figure itineraries. The Kingdom’s $22.6 billion luxury travel market is expanding at a 5.77% annual rate, yet most Western travelers remain unaware of the transformation underway.
Bowers brings two decades of diplomatic experience navigating government relationships, coordinating complex international operations, and managing crisis responses across multiple agencies. Her background includes strategic planning for senior State Department officials, National Security Council coordination, and embassy operations spanning the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Where others see regulatory complexity in Saudi Arabia’s tourism development, she recognizes the same government-relations dynamics that defined her diplomatic career—except now she’s securing access to experiences that won’t appear in mainstream travel guides for years.
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Window
The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 initiative represents one of history’s most ambitious tourism programs, aiming to welcome 150 million visitors annually while increasing tourism’s GDP contribution from 3% to 10%. Saudi Arabia exceeded its 2030 target years ahead of schedule, receiving 116 million tourists in 2024. For luxury travelers, this creates a rare opportunity—world-class infrastructure arriving before the crowds.
Properties from Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, One&Only, and Atlantis are opening across the Kingdom. AlUla’s airport capacity increases to one million passengers by January 2026. The Royal Commission seeks $1.6 billion in private investment across 21 projects, with luxury room capacity expanding to 2,000 by 2028.
“What makes Saudi Arabia remarkable isn’t just the accommodations,” Bowers explains. “It’s accessing cultural heritage and natural landscapes that rival anywhere globally, without the overtourism overwhelming European and Asian destinations.”
Stephanie is advising clients to book trips to Saudi Arabia for 2026 before mass-market awareness drives prices higher and availability tightens. The strategic advantage lies in positioning now, while most travelers remain focused on established markets facing capacity constraints and rising taxes.
Why Government Relations Expertise Matters
Bowers’ diplomatic background proves particularly valuable in navigating Saudi Arabia’s relationship-driven culture. Consider AlUla, the Kingdom’s answer to Petra. This UNESCO World Heritage site features monumental Nabataean tombs across a desert valley documenting 200,000 years of human history. While Hegra’s 110 preserved tombs capture headlines, Bowers focuses on experiences unavailable through standard channels—private archaeological access during optimal lighting, behind-the-scenes heritage programming with Royal Commission officials, and reservations at properties like Habitas AlUla blending sustainable luxury with cultural immersion.
Her government relations experience proves essential in securing access to AMAALA, the Red Sea wellness destination opening in 2026 as the world’s first integrated wellness frontier. Operating on 100% renewable energy with marine conservation embedded in operations, AMAALA represents the kind of development where early positioning matters. Bowers’ clients receive priority access at properties like Nammos Resort AMAALA before international marketing campaigns launch.
At Diriyah Gate, the UNESCO World Heritage site marking the Saudi state’s birthplace, she arranges private heritage programming during golden hour when Najdi architecture photographs spectacularly. For The Red Sea Project—featuring pristine beaches, private islands, and world-class diving across protected coral reefs—she understands which properties launch when and how to secure reservations before public availability.
What Works Now in Saudi Arabia
Understanding Vision 2030’s strategic framework and maintaining relationships with development officials. The Kingdom’s Golden Visa program for high-net-worth individuals is becoming more accessible, while new instant e-visa systems launching through Visa by Profile simplify entry. The GCC Grand Tours Visa, starting in 2026, enables seamless travel across the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman—perfect for clients seeking comprehensive Gulf experiences.
The luxury train service “Dream of the Desert” connects Riyadh, AlUla, and Qurayyat, offering mobile five-star hospitality amid dramatic desert landscapes. AlUla Arts Festival (January 16–February 28, 2026) features Desert X installations and programming previewing Wadi AlFann, a next-generation cultural landmark opening in 2028. Riyadh Season, Jeddah Season, and other cultural programming bring world-class entertainment to venues most international travelers don’t yet know exist.
What No Longer Works
Assuming standard concierge services can secure meaningful access. Expecting immediate availability at headline properties. Approaching the Kingdom without understanding government protocols, cultural sensitivities, and Vision 2030’s objectives.
Saudi Arabia’s luxury market rewards those who understand relationship protocols, government hierarchies, and cultural nuances—exactly the expertise Bowers developed coordinating billion-dollar assistance programs and managing diplomatic missions. Her multilingual capabilities and cross-cultural experience across Middle Eastern, African, and Latin American contexts provide crucial advantages in a market where relationships, not resources alone, determine access.
The First-Mover Advantage
Industry reports identify Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Costa Rica as the leading luxury destinations for 2026. The Kingdom’s wellness tourism focus—desert yoga retreats, indigenous spa treatments, nature therapy across coastal and mountain landscapes—aligns with global trends toward “hushpitality” and meaningful experiences.
“My diplomatic postings taught me to recognize infrastructure buildouts before mainstream awareness,” Bowers notes. “Saudi Arabia is where Dubai was 15 years ago, except the cultural heritage is far more significant and the government commitment is unprecedented.”
The ultra-high-net-worth travelers she works with increasingly seek destinations offering cultural depth without crowds. Saudi Arabia offers experiences that rival anything in Europe or Asia, at a time when private access remains achievable. When The Red Sea Project completes additional phases, when AMAALA’s full wellness programming launches, and when AlUla’s private residence zones open to foreign buyers in 2026, her clients secure positioning before mainstream competition arrives.
Why Human Expertise Still Wins
While AI-powered travel planning proliferates, Saudi Arabia exemplifies why expertise rooted in government relations remains irreplaceable. Understanding Royal Commission protocols, navigating development timelines, and securing access before public launch requires relationship-building and strategic planning that technology cannot replicate.
Bowers’ clients don’t simply visit Saudi Arabia. They experience the Kingdom as few Westerners have, with access reflecting diplomatic-level connections rather than standard luxury bookings. For six-figure itineraries, the Kingdom offers what luxury travel should deliver—authentic cultural immersion, pristine environments, world-class hospitality, and the satisfaction of discovery before the crowds arrive. Saudi Arabia’s most valuable luxury amenity isn’t found in any resort. It’s access enabled by genuine government relations expertise and strategic foresight into where global luxury travel is heading.