I happened to read an article titled “Are We Ready Yet to Welcome Tourists?” in the Arab News (May 29). In the article the author Amr Al-Faisal mentions some of the obstacles and difficulties facing our efforts to promote tourism. While thanking him for showing interest in the subject, we would like to clarify some points.
First, although we agree with the writer on the presence of some negative practices confronting tourists at some places and events this does not mean our culture encourages people to look at a foreign visitor with suspicion and doubts as he seems to suggest. Further, these are problems tourists face in any other country or society. As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, I believe that the opposite is true. By nature, Saudis are a hospitable people. Extending generous hospitality and warm welcome to visitors has been part and parcel of our social mores since time immemorial.
Interaction with visitors is not something new or strange to the people of this country, which has been receiving Haj and Umrah pilgrims from different parts of the world for more than 1,400 years. Our preoccupation with development activities other than tourism as well as some of the things marketed as or going on in the name of tourism in other countries may have created a negative impression about tourism in Saudi Arabia, and may have affected the way the Saudis deal with tourists.
Second, the general strategy for national tourism development has given utmost importance to the social aspect of tourism. It has taken into consideration the social and cultural aspects that affect tourism development and contains proposals to involve local societies in tourism activities.
In order to achieve this objective, the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT) has been organizing “Tourism and Society” programs. This is to promote a positive approach toward tourism and tourists among the general public. A number of awareness campaigns will be held as part of this program to create a friendly social atmosphere for tourism.
The program titled “Tourist and the Host”, organized by the commission in cooperation with the Education Ministry, aims at training teachers to promote tourism awareness among students through activities in summer and other seasons.
We have plans to organize tourism trips for students to places within their region in order to create tourism awareness among them and enhance their knowledge of tourist attractions in their own cities and villages. This program, introduced this year, intends to target about 2.5 million students. The government considers it as a good investment for the future of national tourism.
The commission has been holding special courses named “Yahala” to train people who will be in direct contact with tourists including employees of the departments of tourism, customs, passports and police as well as bus and taxi drivers to educate them to deal with tourists in a friendly and professional manner. More than 700 Saudis have attended these courses, which were held in 10 cities this year.
The recently launched tourism media strategy, which was approved by SCT’s board of directors, aims at enhancing awareness among Saudis of the economic importance of the tourism industry and its positive impact on society. This will enable them to interact positively in their role as a tourist or host or investor or service provider.
And then there is the program named “Leave No Trace” to promote environment culture and reduce negative effects on environment as a result of the behavior of some tourists. This is being implemented in cooperation with government agencies and the private sector. This program was launched successfully in Hail last summer and in Riyadh’s Thumama region a few weeks ago.
The commission also intends to hold more awareness campaigns in various parts of the country, targeting more than 15 governmental, social and other organizations. There are also plans to hold more than 80 activities in 45 principalities with a view to strengthening tourism awareness in local societies.
Third, with respect to the author’s proposal that the SCT should itself establish tourism projects and encourage the private sector to enter the field only when they are found commercially viable, I would like to point out that all over the world the trend now is that governments keep themselves away from investment projects, leaving them to the private sector. Saudi Arabia is only following the global trend in this respect. So, the commission does not intend to establish tourism projects; at the same it would not force anyone to invest in such projects. SCT’s mission is to create an atmosphere that would encourage private tourism investment. It also works to enable the private sector to assume the role of a main and effective partner in tourism development by contributing to the establishment of basic infrastructure, providing information and setting out laws and regulations to ensure quality and protect investors and consumers.
We agree that there are certain factors restricting tourism investment; the SCT is now trying to tackle them.
Fourth, the plethora of tourist sites in the Kingdom as well as the government’s drive to reduce dependence on oil revenue have made tourism a strategic option which cannot be ignored. It is one of the fast growing industries, one of the major contributors to the gross domestic product and the world’s largest employer. It has benefits the other industries lack. It achieves balanced regional development by attracting capital to cities, regions and centers. Tourism will play a major role in highlighting our social values and heritage and culture. It also contributes to the protection of natural resources and facilitates their better utilization. This is crucial for the continuation of tourism-generated economic activity.
The ideas presented by the author in his Arab News article are of enormous importance and we want to assure him that the SCT has been pursuing such objectives since its inception. But let me request the author to be optimistic and see the positive side of tourism in the Kingdom. As everyone knows, it needs time and concerted efforts to bring about required changes in a complex industry like tourism.
We would also like to point out that SCT’s plans to develop national tourism run parallel to efforts to win social acceptance of tourism as an important part of national economy. No doubt building up this promising economic sector is a big challenge.
SCT is fully aware of the importance of creating a suitable social atmosphere in order to promote the industry and make it a major contributor to the national economy. Our government and people have successfully overcome many major developmental challenges before and achieved wonderful results. Believe me, the Kingdom’s efforts will be crowned with success in this new field too.
— Sultan ibn Salman ibn Abdul Aziz is secretary-general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism.
