Saudi Arabia's Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has completed the first edition of its Grow Tourism Incubator programme, which supported 30 startups over 10 months, the Emerging Travel reported on June 25.

The programme forms part of the kingdom's push to build a tourism entrepreneurship base as it pursues the targets of its National Tourism Strategy and Vision 2030, with the fund acting as the national enabler of tourism investment.

It was led by the "Tourism Growth Centre," the fund's non-financial enabling arm, in partnership with commercial company Almosafer, which has been a large backer of tourism-led projects as part of the Vision 2030 economic turnaround.

The first edition supported 20 companies in an in-person track and 10 in a virtual track, the fund said, with more projects planned in the coming months as the country continues to invest heavily into the tourism sector. 

Participating startups received more than 230 business development sessions, over 20 specialised workshops, 35 training opportunities and 30 service grants.

The programme included an international visit to H-FARM in Italy, giving participants the chance to explore global entrepreneurship practices.

The fund said the programme provided startups with specialised mentorship, business development, capacity building and connections to investors and strategic partners, supporting their readiness for growth and helping them enhance their business models and tourism products.

Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector posted a record performance in 2025, with spending rising to about SAR304bn as the kingdom drew roughly 122.6mn tourists, underscoring how travel is becoming a bigger pillar of the non-oil economy under Vision 2030.