JEDDAH, 30 September — The domestic tourism is expected to register a 20 to 30 percent growth as a direct result of the decline in the number of visitors to the US and European destinations in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington, market sources said yesterday.
“The recent developments have caused domestic tourism to pick up at a rate proportionate to the drop in outbound tourism, particularly to the US and Europe,” said Hasan Abdul Aziz Saqr, director general of the Resorts & Touristic Estate Co. Ltd.
“The tourism map of the Kingdom will have to be redrawn,” Saqr said, adding that the demand is soaring. A considerable number of tourists, mainly the affluent Saudis who generally prefer foreign trips for leisure, now choose resorts on the beautiful Red Sea coastline, he added.
He said his company, which runs 30 tourist projects Kingdomwide, aims to prepare packages to suit their needs.
The terror attacks in the US and the preparations for retaliation, however, have had their negative repercussions in some areas of the industry.
Amr Al-Asi, marketing manager of the Red Sea Palace Hotel in downtown Jeddah, said he had many reservations, mostly by American and European businessmen, canceled during the last two weeks.
“Bookings fell 50 percent for September to December, compared to the same period last year. Generally, this is the time when foreign businessmen and trade delegations flock to the Kingdom because the weather is most clement during these months,” said Al-Asi.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Hotels and Resort Areas Company has signed a contract for the management and operation of the Moon Tourist Village in North Obhur. The resort’s opening is slated for December.
Musaed ibn Muhammad Al-Sinani, chairman of the company’s board of directors, said the authorities have given approval to the company’s Umrah operations.
