JEDDAH, 24 April — Saudi Arabian Airlines will bring in 244 Japanese tourists from Osaka on a Boeing 777 flight shortly as part of its “Explore the Kingdom” program, which aims at promoting inbound tourism.
Abdullah Al-Johani, assistant vice president for advertising and marketing, said the Japanese tourists will arrive in the Kingdom by the end of this month.
“They will stay for about one to three weeks in accordance with the tour program and the regions they would like to visit,” he said.
The tour program will cover Madain Saleh, near Madinah, and other historic places in Riyadh, Jeddah, Hofouf, Najran, Taif, Abha, Jouf, Tabuk and Hail.
Saudia plans to fly in groups of foreign tourists from the United States, Europe and Japan, including professionals such as doctors, lawyers and university professors as well as businessmen, archaeologists and historians.
Since the launch of the program in 1996, the airline has brought in more than 3,000 tourists from different countries. “Hundreds of Japanese tourists have visited the Kingdom during the past two years,” Johani said.
“We have organized a workshop for ground workers in the Kingdom and Japan to promote the program and attract more Japanese tourists,” he added.
Last year a group of 355 Japanese tourists arrived, the largest contingent of tourists to visit the country, on board a chartered Saudia flight.
The Saudia program comes in the backdrop of the Kingdom’s efforts to promote domestic tourism as part of a diversification drive. The government also intends to grab part of a staggering $15 billion which its nationals spend annually on international tourism.
The Supreme Commission for Tourism, set up two years ago, is working to expand the Kingdom’s share in international tourism market.
Prince Sultan ibn Salman, secretary-general of the commission, has said that the Kingdom will announce the national tourism plan next month.
There are about 10,000 tourist spots in various parts of the Kingdom, including places of historic and cultural importance.
The Kingdom’s revenues from tourism increased from SR3.8 billion in 1992 to SR6.1 billion in 1999 and SR6.75 billion in 2000.
The tourism commission expects that the Kingdom will be able to reduce Saudi spending on tourism abroad by a minimum of 10 percent and a maximum of 25 percent in the initial stage of the national tourism plan.
The commission also estimates that the tourism industry’s contribution to the GDP will reach 7.3 percent. The industry will also provide 6.5 percent of the total employment opportunities in the country.
Meanwhile, Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed is scheduled to visit the historical areas of Jeddah tomorrow. Jeddah Municipality has plans to develop the region into a major tourist attraction.
