Industry Insights

Good connections are usually half the battle, especially in tourism. David de Bjaouix has plenty of them, because in his first career as a tour guide he spent many years traveling the world over. He made countless contacts along the way, and learned to love one country in particular. As one of the first European tour guides, de Bjaouix came to Saudi Arabia with a tour group in 1999 and felt even then that the kingdom was an undiscovered gem for travelers. His long-standing association with the desert country now enables him to set up a DMC there – and the timing couldn't be better. But first, let's rewind a bit for context: "After 9/11, I assumed I would never accompany a group to that country again," David de Bjaouix recalls. "At that time, all the organizers took Saudi Arabia out of their portfolio."

Nevertheless, he remained in close touch with his numerous contacts there. So when he said goodbye to his tour guide job in 2004 and set up his own business in Berlin with Discovery Events, it paid off. "Many people asked me to organize a trip to Saudi Arabia for them, and I did," he says. "The first round trips I designed came along a bit later, and I planned those without a DMC." Since Saudi Arabia changed its tourism strategy in 2019, de Bjaouix says business there has really picked up. It's clear now that the curiosity about a country that has been closed for so long outweighs any skepticism. However, tourism is still in its infancy, and it shows. Service? Largely absent. De Bjaouix quickly realized that this has to change if tourism is to take place here at a luxury level. He hires his own tour guides, who speak the language(s) of his guests, and founded the Pure Saudi brand. Currently he sells his tours not only in Germany, but also in the Netherlands and in Scandinavia, and also plans on breaking into the French, Italian, and Spanish markets through roadshows.

For David de Bjaouix, it's obvious: "You can still make a name for yourself in Saudi Arabia as an operator, and as a DMC," which is reason enough for him to dedicate himself to this branch of tourism. In his latest coup he's even opened his own DMC based in Riyadh called The Saudi Experts. "I took this step because the communication with local DMCs is disastrous," he says. "That spurred me to do enormously better." So far The Saudi Experts – the first non-Saudi DMC in the country – is still operating seasonally, but that could change if tourism in Saudi Arabia continues to pick up. That happening is all but certain now, given all the ambitious projects the country has recently launched in AlUla, on the Red Sea, and in Diriya. Says De Bjaouix, "I can imagine opening branches in hotels in AlUla and in Amaala/Red Sea Project soon." In the summer, he plans to train driver guides on site. "We desperately need them for private tours," he said. Despite all the work, he continues to enjoy working as a tour guide in the Saudi Kingdom.

But why have just one iron in the fire when you can have many? David de Bjaouix is also developing something with the working title "Retreats by Discovery." But anyone who thinks of ordinary retreats on the subject of wellbeing is mistaken. "The new product should and will be different from anything known," says the tourism expert. "Our immersions will not be a wellness stay with a nice spa, but medically accompanied, holistic trips." Discovery will thereby act exclusively as the organizer, with a well-known Berlin hospital and a clinic on board. "We hope that our new concept will be a game changer in terms of holistic retreats," says de Bjaouix.

The implementation will take place at a very high level, akin to the Lanserhof in Austria. The topics and treatment areas include consciousness, culture, Ayurveda, holotropic breathing, salutogenesis, detoxification, meditation, and self-awareness. Small groups of eight to 14 people are envisioned so that individual sessions are also possible. David de Bjaouix anticipates small luxury hotels as venues, with durations ranging from five to seven nights. Soon these retreats should also be bookable for travel agencies.

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