1. Introduction

Therefore, it has become necessary for different countries to develop and complete e-tourism to achieve excellence and sustainable tourism. In this context, Saudi Arabia is seeking to develop its tourism sector through its development strategy and Vision 2030 to change the Saudi tourism sector since the launch of the National Tourism Strategy in 2019. However, Saudi Arabia topped the United Nations Tourism Ranking for the growth of international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared with 2019, achieving an increase of 56%. This illustrates the actual context for developing the Saudi tourism approach. Consequently, it is important to analyse the following problem: how can e-tourism be developed to achieve excellence and sustainable development in tourism in Ha’il?

This study aimed to identify the most important development factors for e-tourism in the Ha’il region to achieve excellence in tourism and sustainable tourism. Therefore, this study is important to know the role of artificial intelligence in the development of electronic tourism in the Ha’il region of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it will be a new addition to the Library of Studies and Literature on this subject. This study also supported Ha’il’s tourism sector as an effective economic sector that contributes significantly to sustainable development, addresses many social problems, and contributes significantly to the advancement of development projects. On the other hand, this study helped introduce ways of excellence in e-tourism by marketing it using artificial intelligence, allowing the development of the tourism sector in the Ha’il region. It contributes significantly to the formulation of plans, policies, and strategies that will significantly ensure the tourism sector’s development, as this study seeks to provide information.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

The main objective of this paper was to study the development factors of e-tourism to achieve excellence and sustainable development in the tourism of the Ha’il region. So, we obtained two types of contributions: theoretical contributions and managerial implications.

Theoretical contributions: In this context, we applied two complementary analyses. The first was based on statistical analysis. The second was based on the artificial intelligence method, which is an unsupervised machine learning technique. In fact, in the statistical analysis, we have 426 responses from employees of tourism businesses based on the survey. The objective of this analysis was to determine the main development factors of e-tourism to achieve excellence in Ha’il. The results of this first step show that there are only four main factors that allow authorities to achieve excellence: ST, CP, HRS, and SC. Then, we applied the second analysis to determine, using the machine learning technique, the factors of excellence in tourism that allow the sustainable development of tourism in the Ha’il region. For this reason, we maintained a monthly database of tourism in Saudi Arabia from 2000 to 2022 (about 1464 observations). Therefore, we found that five development factors and the excellence of e-tourism promote the achievement of sustainable development in tourism. These factors are ST, CP, FP, HRS, and GC. Consequently, we conclude that the environment has a positive impact on the development of e-tourism in the Ha’il region.

Furthermore, the results of this study allow us to conclude that the realisation of tourism development remains an objective of the regional authorities of KSA. Therefore, the Ha’il region has specific characteristics that promote the achievement of excellence in tourism. For this reason, the development of e-tourism in the Ha’il region requires the use of a management strategy to develop tourism resources in the Ha’il region.

Managerial implication: Development factors that influence e-tourism have significant managerial implications for promoting excellence and sustainability in tourism. By integrating technology, engaging stakeholders, preserving culture, promoting environmental stewardship, diversifying economies, developing supportive policies, monitoring impacts, and raising awareness, managers can effectively contribute to a sustainable future for the tourism industry. Managers should use technology to improve the tourism experience while promoting sustainable practices. This includes using e-tourism platforms to manage resources efficiently, reduce waste, and optimise transport options to reduce carbon impacts. In addition, it is necessary to improve human resource skills to deliver high-quality services and promote innovation. This enables local tourism companies to further promote their services by enhancing their competitive value. It, thus, promotes sustainable tourism practices. It promotes responsible travel behaviours and helps increase visitor participation. Furthermore, integrating technology into tourism while integrating it with skill development for hosts and the competition challenge enables improved decision-making and strategic planning. Ultimately, excellence in service delivery contributes to e-tourism while ensuring the achievement of the region’s Sustainable Development Goals. Together, these factors (ST, CP, and HR) help the development of e-tourism in the Ha’il region, ensure excellence, and support sustainable development. Ultimately, a collaborative approach is vital to long-term success in Ha’il’s e-tourism landscape. Effective governance requires cooperation between various stakeholders, including communities, government bodies, and private institutions. The involvement of these groups ensures the alignment of tourism development with local needs and the preservation of cultural heritage while promoting economic growth. As for the preservation of culture, tourism managers must implement strategies that promote the preservation of culture. By encouraging tourists to participate in local traditions and practices, cultural appreciation is promoted, and cultural mitigation is prevented. Prioritising environmental sustainability by promoting environmentally friendly tourism practices is important. This includes supporting conservation efforts, reducing resource consumption, and encouraging travellers to adopt environmentally responsible behaviours during their visit to Ha’il. It is also important to diversify the region’s economy, as sustainable tourism can be supported by diversifying the tourism services provided. Managers must, therefore, develop community tourism initiatives that empower local people and enhance their resilience to economic shocks. Managers should also advocate for regulations that promote ecotourism, protect biodiversity, and ensure the equitable distribution of Ha’il’s economic benefits. It is also important that tourism executives in the Ha’il region develop measures to assess the social, economic, and environmental outcomes of tourism activities.

Furthermore, based on the results of these analyses, we recommend that the authorities of the Ha’il region can apply some different strategies to achieve excellence and develop tourism in the region. They are as follows: (i) maximising tourism awareness campaigns in society; (ii) encouraging the adoption of digital technology in the Ha’il region; (iii) promoting investments in the e-tourism protection programme for businesses and supporting tourism growth in the Ha’il region through increased funding; (iv) developing services for seasonal tourism programmes in the Ha’il region; (v) creating vocational training programs, especially with digital instruments; (vi) encouraging private initiatives to raise tourism standards in Ha’il; (vii) adopting flexible assessment methods for different groups of society to ensure that the tourist service is correctly assessed; (viii) encouraging investment in global community events and trying to polarise the Ha’il region. For example, the overall marketing of the effectiveness of the rally should be reviewed so that it is a victory for tourism and the excellence of the region; (ix) businesses and governments can effectively implement the results of technology, Competitive Pressure, Financial Performance, Human Resource Skills, and Government Commitment using a skills-based approach to talent management. This includes identifying the critical skills required for success and matching training programs to bridge current gaps. Collaboration between educational institutions and companies is critical to ensure that curricula meet market demands and develop a workforce with applicable competencies. Furthermore, taking advantage of government backing for innovation and offering incentives for continuous learning can help organisations adapt. Finally, companies that foster a culture of lifelong learning will be able to respond proactively to changing market circumstances.

Additionally, these recommendations require the regional development of the technological infrastructure, such as the development of security equipment and services, information and artificial intelligence. This would create skills and competencies in this area.

The limitations of this study are that it relied on a questionnaire due to a lack of quantitative statistical data. It would be more appropriate to apply a statistical model to give more efficient results. For future studies, we can analyse the comparison of e-tourism between Saudi Arabia and other countries from the Middle East or European countries to capture best practices.