JEDDAH: The call by Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary general of the General Commission of Tourism and Antiquities (GCTA), in November for local travel and tourism organizations to offer employment opportunities to both men and women has taken off with leading businesses in the field rising to the occasion.
Amadeus Saudi Arabia, a technology and distribution solutions provider for travel and tourism industry, is one such company. Beginning 2007, the company decided to train women as travel agents with the primary aim of creating and increasing job opportunities in the local sector.
“We have seen a steady rise in the number of women joining the travel and tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. It is important that they receive proper training and support so they can contribute effectively to the growth of their companies,” said Nashat M. Bukhari, general manager, Amadeus Saudi Arabia. According to statistics by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), domestic tourism alone is expected to increase by as much as SR101.3 billion by the end of next year.
Analysts say that more women will be needed in the Saudi travel industry due to the increase in travelers and, in part, due to the decision early last year by local authorities to allow Saudi women without male guardians to stay in hotels in the Kingdom.
“With the increasing number of Saudi women in the travel industry workforce it becomes our responsibility at Amadeus to provide the accurate knowledge needed to ensure both customer satisfaction and professionalism of high standards, ensuring the career development of these ambitious women,” Salwa Zaghloul, a trainer at Amadeus said, adding that their motivation as trainers comes from the positive response and tremendous curiosity from the female trainees who are as dedicated and ambitious as their male counterparts.
Amadeus has currently opened three centers in Jeddah, Riyadh and Alkhobar.
The three-day certified course includes training in basic through advanced ticketing and reservation systems, allowing the women to become proficient in using travel software involved in the use of fares and ticketing operations, flight and hotel reservations, and car rentals.
Last year alone Amadeus trained more than 60 women employees of local travel agencies such as Ace Travel, Al-Tayyar Travel, Attar Travel and Zahid Travel.
“The training provided is globally accredited and closely aligned to the requirements of the Saudi travel industry,” said Bukhari, adding that travel agencies of all sizes must look at training and developing their staff as an investment in productivity, efficiency and better customer service.