It is reported that organizers of this year’s month-and-a-half-long Jeddah Summer Festival expect more than three million tourists to come to the city for the event. At the same time, Saudi Arabian Airlines has announced that it has leased 14 extra aircraft to meet the summer surge of Saudis wanting to vacation abroad. There seems a contradiction here. Some 4.5 million Saudi tourists are expected to vacation abroad this year, spending around $18.7 billion in the process. Add to that figure the anticipated three million visitors to the Jeddah festival — most of whom are Saudis or resident expats — and we have a figure of 7.5 million tourists. That does not include those who vacation elsewhere within the Kingdom, heading perhaps for the relatively cooler and less humid climes of Abha or Taif. It makes for a hefty number of Saudis — an overwhelming majority of citizens — spending their vacations somewhere other than at home.
But not all Saudis are wealthy — far from it. With a per-capita gross national income of about $14,000, there are plenty of Saudi families that cannot afford to go anywhere. So are the figures real? A tourist is, by definition, someone who comes from elsewhere; a resident of north Jeddah on a shopping expedition to the city’s historic center (the Balad) is not a tourist.
There is no reason to doubt the external tourist figures; the number of people on flights leaving the country and going through passport controls is easy enough to verify. But three million tourists to Jeddah for the Summer Festival? A comparison with other international cities’ tourist figures suggests otherwise. London, for example, one of the world’s top tourist destinations, has just over 26 million tourists a year, domestic and foreign — an average of 3.2 million for a 45-day period — and London is far better geared to the tourist trade than Jeddah. Paris had 16.3 million visitors last year, an average of 2 million for a 45-day period. It too has the facilities to house, feed, transport and entertain such numbers. Jeddah’s tourist infrastructure is, by comparison, still fairly undeveloped.
Internal tourism is growing strongly and already accounts for around nine percent of GDP. It could be a gold mine, both in terms of income and job creation, which is why the government is so keen to develop it. Much is being done; the government has spent $133 million so far to develop tourism, but much more is required. A lot has been said about easing up on visas for foreign tourists and the issue is now being addressed, but enticing foreign visitors and persuading Saudi tourists to vacation at home rather than abroad does not start with bureaucracy. Saudi Arabia has the attractions; the issue is the infrastructure. More hotels are needed as well as better transport and more tourism facilities. As for Jeddah: tourists would flock to the Balad if it were restored; this requires government responsibility if it is to be done properly. What is most important is that facilities be affordable. Most tourists, Saudi or foreign, but especially families, cannot afford the five-star treatment.
