Umm Al-Qura University: A successful digital campaign on World Tourism Day 2018

From a university event to a national digital campaign

In 2018, the Department of Tourism and Hospitality at Umm Al-Qura University celebrated World Tourism Day under the theme “Tourism and Digital Transformation” through an interactive event organized at Makkah Mall, in the presence of university leaders and partners from the public and private sectors.
The event came to embody the digital transformation in the Saudi tourism sector, and to keep pace with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 in empowering youth and supporting innovation in the fields of tourism and hospitality.

Saudi Arabia's role in implementation

Tafaaul Saudi Arabia undertook the implementation of the digital and media campaign accompanying the occasion through an integrated plan that covered all communication and creative aspects, including:

• Preparing the media plan and publication schedule for the event.
• Managing social media platforms and providing real-time event coverage.
• Designing visual materials such as infographics and informational videos.
• Implementing interactive digital competitions under the hashtag #OurTourismIsDigital.
• Supervising media coverage across channels, newspapers, and digital platforms.

Campaign objectives

• Raising awareness of the concept of digital transformation in tourism and its role in improving the visitor experience.
• Introducing the community to the role of Umm Al-Qura University in supporting tourism education and graduating qualified personnel for the labor market.
• Encouraging young people to explore entrepreneurial career opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector.
• Enhancing the department’s digital presence on social media through interactive and innovative content.
• Highlighting the status of Mecca as a tourist and cultural center in line with the national vision.”

Creative value

The campaign succeeded in presenting an outstanding model of a university event that transformed into an influential national digital campaign.
Education, tourism and technology were combined in an interactive visual style that attracted the attention of the general public and those interested in the tourism sector.
The campaign relied on creative content and digital design to deliver the university's message in a modern, youthful way.

Message and Excellence

This experience served as a successful example of the role that universities can play in promoting community awareness.
The campaign contributed to conveying the vision of digital tourism to the community, and linking academic education with the digital transformation in the tourism sector.

Results in numbers

• More than 113 million views for the hashtag and digital posts.
• More than 10 million visits to the event's Twitter accounts.
• 50+ media outlets covered the event in newspapers, television and digital platforms.
• The hashtag #OurTourismIsDigital topped the trending list three times.
• Digital support from influential accounts with a total audience exceeding 7 million followers.