In a statement after visiting the Kingdom’s pavilion at the exhibition, he said Saudi Arabia is replete with tourist attractions including historical sites such as Madain Saleh and Diriya.

He emphasized the need to present Saudi Arabia as a major tourist destination in the region to Gulf citizens in order to encourage them to spend their vacations in the Kingdom’s tourist resorts.

“SCTA intends to organize a variety of attractive programs and activities to woo Saudis as well as GCC citizens to spend their holidays in the Kingdom,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted him as saying.

He said Saudi tourism would not be limited to Haj and Umrah as new investment projects would enhance tourist facilities and attractions in the Kingdom.

“Forums like the Arabian Travel Market will enable SCTA to make use of the experiences of Arab countries in promoting tourism,” the prince said.

He said tourism would contribute to the Kingdom’s gross domestic product substantially over the coming years. “We have a lot of tourist potential including historical sites and we need investors to develop these places as tourist centers,” he added.  Prince Sultan said his organization was giving utmost importance to the preservation and development of the Kingdom’s architectural heritage and convert them into attractive tourism products.

“We are presenting a model of Rijal Al-Mae heritage village from the Asir region at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to highlight the Kingdom’s rich culture and heritage,” the prince said.

Prince Sultan visited various pavilions at the show and met with a number of company executives taking part. A large number of Saudi travel and tourism companies are participating with the intent of increasing their share in the Kingdom’s market.

Earlier, Sheikh Maktoum bin Muhammad Al-Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, opened the Kingdom’s pavilion and visited its various exhibits, including handicrafts.