AlUla wins Gold at 2026 ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards
ALULA — AlUla has won Gold in the Nature Positive Responsible Tourism Award category at the 2026 ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards, recognizing its nature-first approach to tourism development and efforts to protect and restore the destination’s natural ecosystems.The recognition coincides with World Tourism Day on Sept. 27, as the global tourism sector focuses on how destinations can expand…
AlUla has claimed the prestigious Gold award in the Nature Positive Responsible Tourism category at the 2026 ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards. The accolade acknowledges the destination's commitment to a nature-first approach in tourism development and its efforts to safeguard and rejuvenate its natural ecosystems.
This recognition arrives on World Tourism Day (Sept. 27), as the worldwide tourism industry deliberates on how destinations can grow sustainably while preserving their unique natural and cultural assets. Over half of AlUla's vast 22,561-square-kilometer area is designated as protected nature reserves.
To bolster its conservation efforts, AlUla has planted over 500,000 native trees and released more than 1,500 animals into the wild. The ICRT Responsible Tourism Awards commended AlUla for its collaboration with global scientists and conservation groups, as well as its strategy of prioritizing nature and wildlife at the core of destination planning.
The awards honor entities that utilize tourism to deliver positive impacts for communities, destinations, and the environment. AlUla's regenerative tourism strategy aims to ensure that development contributes to restoring natural ecosystems and safeguarding cultural heritage while generating enduring value for local landscapes, wildlife, and communities.
The AlUla Sustainability Charter guides development, placing environmental stewardship at the heart of the destination's transformation. Covering over 74,000 hectares, restoration initiatives in Sharaan National Park are focused on bolstering native flora, restoring habitats, and enhancing the resilience of desert and oasis ecosystems.
AlUla's biodiversity is striking, boasting more than 500 recorded plant species. Restoration programs are dedicated to strengthening native flora, regenerating ecosystems, and enhancing the resilience of its desert and oasis environments. The destination is also home to Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, renowned for its preserved Nabataean tombs, as well as ancient oases and other archaeological and cultural treasures.
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