JEDDAH, 23 November 2004 — Visitors are calling for the government’s intervention after rents at seaside resorts skyrocketed during the Eid holidays, but hostelers call it a matter of supply and demand.
“The prices were unbelievable,” said Marawan Al-Abdalya, a resident who couldn’t afford the high rental fees.
“Many people I know say the owners of these resorts are really taking advantage of the high demand during Eid, but we’re calling upon the officials in charge to do something immediately. These people are an obstacle to internal tourism.”
People who are priced out have to make different plans.
“These resorts are now exclusively for those who can afford such high prices,” said Salim Al-Hawthi. “People like us can no longer afford staying even for one night, which costs around SR3,000. I think it’s much better to travel to another country where it is less expensive.” He agreed the government should intervene to regulate resort fees and ensure they remain affordable.
Mohammed Abdu Salam, a manager of one of the big resorts, told Arab News that during Eid, business booms at most resorts in Abhur.
“Due to the high demand, most of the sea chalets are expected to generate around SR100 million — 200 percent more than normal days. The rental prices vary from SR3,000 to 6,000 per night,” he said. He noted that despite high prices most of sea resorts are booked for the entire holiday.
The hosteler pointed out that it is normal to raise prices during Eid holidays to compensate for the low revenue at other times of the year.
Abrahim Al-Swailim, a visitor from Riyadh, said he was shocked to hear that a seaside chalet would cost SR3,000 per night.
“It is really illogical to charge so much when I could spend about SR3,000 for round-trip tickets and a week’s accommodation in one of the region’s tourism hubs, such as Egypt or Lebanon,” he said.
He said that the secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism earlier promised to promote and develop tourism in the Kingdom, “but I guess with such high prices, people will decide to spend their holidays somewhere else.”
