RIYADH: As part of its efforts to make the cost of tourism services affordable, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has ordered hotels and other residential facilities to display their rates for various services.
The SCTA is enforcing the 17th clause of the existing hotel regulations on the hotels. The clause states: “All hotels should display in Arabic and English or French the rates of stay and other services at a conspicuous place which could be easily and clearly noticed by guests in rooms, administrative office and reception. They should also display the hotel license and the class and type of the hotel.”
“The categorization of hotels and fixing the rates for each class of the facility is very important in stabilizing and regulating their prices. The tariff will have to be displayed at prominent places at the entry to the hotel and other residential facilities,” SCTA’s Secretary-General Prince Sultan bin Salman said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency on Friday.
Prince Sultan added the SCTA started the classification of hotels and other tourist accommodations earlier in the year. The prince hoped the government would approve a financing project for private tourism accommodations in order to make domestic tourism affordable to all citizens. “Tourism activities, including air travel, road networks and rest houses cannot develop without competition,” the prince said stressing the role of private sector in promoting tourism.
The prince attributed the high rates and other difficulties faced by tourists to the growth of the tourism market without sufficient supply of tourist residences.
