Saudis to welcome more tourists
DUBAI – Saudi Arabia signaled at the recent Arabian Hotel Investment Conference that it will open the door to allow better access to the country by international tourists and business visitors.
It is easing visa regulations for non-religious tourists. The government is also funding three training colleges for tour guides, airport officials and travel agents to better handle foreign tourists.
It is also introducing a hotel classification system and is studying the introduction of heritage inns and traditional palaces similar to the paradore system in Spain.
Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, secretary-general of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, said there would be a “reawakening of culture” in Saudi Arabia.
“We see tourism as a major creator of jobs. Our market is really the local market, the five million Saudis who each summer spend US$15 billion dollars on their holidays. We want to keep some of that money at home.”
Prince Sultan said Saudi Arabia welcomed international investors into the hospitality sector. “There will be a lot of investment opportunities in tourism and we’ll be releasing details shortly.
“What we don’t want is tourism at any price. When I travel in Europe I see wonderful places that have been destroyed, communities that have been destroyed, in the name of tourism. We don’t want to pay that price.”
Ian Jarrett
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