RIYADH, 9 May 2004 — Having urged Saudis to spend their vacations in the Kingdom, Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), has now set his sights on the foreign market. Yesterday he called on Westerners to “discover” Saudi Arabia as a new tourism destination.
He was giving a presentation to British businessmen here during a luncheon meeting with the local British Business Group, which seeks to promote Saudi-British partnerships.
He said the SCT had yet to decide any detailed offers for European or British tourists. “This is only a preliminary briefing about the restructuring of the Saudi tourism industry. But we will be doing a lot more as we move in future,” he said.
The Kingdom had a lot to offer to visitors, the prince said, from archaeological wonders and historic sites to modern attractions, scenic beauty and remarkable wildlife.
Prince Sultan said the commission has set up a center for tourism information and research (MAS) to provide tourism-related information to the travel industry, prospective tourists and their governments. MAS has undertaken a comprehensive survey to collect information about domestic, inbound and outbound tourism.
BBG Chairman Martin Shaw pledged the group’s support for SCT initiatives adding a meeting a year from now would want to hear what progress is being made.
The SCT has been meeting with similar business groups, companies and organizations for several months. The Kingdom boasts some 15,000 tourist attractions if hotels and public parks are included, but it needs to generate more interest both domestically and internationally if tourism is to take off.
