JEDDAH, 2 July — Tourism within the Kingdom has received a tremendous boost this summer. There is also some reasonable travel movement among vacationers to certain popular destinations in the Gulf region. This is mainly because there is no tourist travel to the US during the current holiday rush, according to travel industry sources.

“Traffic to the US from here is hardly five percent of what it was in the pre-Sept. 11 years. And even this traffic is of students and business travelers who have to compulsorily visit,” a senior executive of a travel agency, told Arab News yesterday.

“But where the US has lost due to its annoying restrictions on Arab visitors, the Kingdom has gained,” he said, adding: “ In-Kingdom tourism has gained tremendously this season. The southern Asir region and the Red Sea port of Jeddah are among the most popular destinations this season. A summer festival is currently going on in Jeddah, while a shopping festival in the Asir town of Abha begins on July 10.

“There are bookings for European destinations like Britain, France and Switzerland, but even these are far less compared to previous years. Whatever rush in the wake of closure of schools over the last weekend is cleared or being cleared,” a Western airline executive said. “Even traditional subcontinent destinations like Karachi, Bombay and Delhi are starved of tourists from here, although traditional vacationing points like Hyderabad and Calicut have remained steady,” an Asian airline executive said.

“The persisting warlike posture adopted by India and Pakistan could be the main reason, he added.”

However, Air-India officials maintain that the airline is busy for the next few weeks trying to cope with homebound vacationers.

The closure of Saudi schools and certain international institutions over the weekend has resulted in rush for bookings on international flights. But that is very limited. With Indian International School-Jeddah closing this weekend, there may be some rush for expat vacationers going home. But thereafter, flights for all destinations are open, according to inquiries.

There is limited movement among vacationers to visit South American countries like Brazil and Argentina, aside from Australia.

Singapore, too, has suffered this time because of the requirement of sponsors for visitors from here. “Even transiting through the island state has become a problem for travelers from here,” a Far East airline executive said.

According to T.P. Ahmed of Gulf Air, families from here are traveling mostly within the Middle East to destinations like Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia and Lebanon. The most sought-after overseas destinations outside the region are Malaysia and Indonesia.

“These countries are preferred for their Islamic culture and low cost of living,” he added.

It is expected that seats for Britain will be more readily available toward the end of this week; however, the wait for a flight to Asia will be longer.

Tour operators have given mixed reactions to the summer packages offered by them. “There is some response to European summer packages to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Geneva and Nice,” one of them said.

Industry veterans said the holiday season here is contrary to the one in the UAE where airlines are struggling to cope with summer rush. Flights from Dubai to major holiday centers could be busy right up to the start of August.

Olympic Airways admits that it is not just the first two weeks of July that are busy. “It’s right up to August,” said Denise Papadatou, sales manager of the airline based in Dubai.

“We’re almost closing all of our flights,” he added.