Saudi Arabia has the infrastructure that tourism requires with the exception of a tourist-visa process for individuals, according to a top travel and tour operator.
“I don’t see any challenges to the development of the tourist industry in the Kingdom to prevent it rivaling Egypt, Dubai or Jordan,” said Moutaz F. Kayal, president of the Elaf Group of Companies for Travel, Tourism and Hotels and of the Saudi chapter of American Society for Travel Agents (ASTA).
The group’s Travel and Tourism Division is a major tour operator and a leading organization for inbound and outbound travel. Elaf Travel & Tourism is also a government-licensed Haj and Umrah operator and has been awarded ISO 9001 for Quality Management System for the past four years.
Kayal said that the availability of tourist visas on demand would pave the way for a large influx of tourists. There was already an awareness of the Kingdom’s tourism potential among tour operators worldwide.
The Kingdom has a wide range of attractions — diving in waters off the Red Sea coast, areas of archaeological interest, such as Madain Saleh, and some spectacular mountain and desert scenery.
Makkah and Madinah attract large numbers of religious tourists, though off-limits to the wider and cash-rich market of non-Muslim tourists.
Internal communications are, certainly by Western standards, affordable. Domestic flights on the national carrier are relatively inexpensive and the national bus service, Saudi Public Transport Co. (SAPTCO), runs a fleet of coaches with modest fares. The national airline and the full range of commercial and national carriers supply international connections to the major markets.
Hotel accommodation runs from very cheap hostel-level accommodation through to five-star accommodation that can rival that in the major hotels of the world.
Interregional travelers and religious tourists are on the increase yearly as are business travelers. This growth has been driven by the booming economy of the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia in particular. “We’re capitalizing on this and providing strategic infrastructure solutions that are crucial for the growth and sustenance of this sector in the region,” said Kayal.
Haj and Umrah pilgrims represent close to 100 percent of visitors heading for Makkah and Madinah. Saudis constitute 25 percent of this segment, usually visiting the two cities in July and August. The GCC countries represent about 10 percent and other nationalities represent the remaining 65 percent. At other tourist destinations like Taif, Baha, Abha and Jeddah, Saudi nationals make up about 70 percent and most of the rest come from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) sates.
Although the two holy cities are the primary destinations for pilgrims, Jeddah ranks as the third most visited location.
According to Kayal, the Saudi travel and hospitality industry is robust and continues to show a significant potential and promise due to interregional travel and the continuing maturity of the tourism industry and the business sector.