RIYADH: Prince Sattam, acting governor of Riyadh province, said the tourism industry would bounce back despite the economic recession that has slowed down the growth in all sectors across the world.
Prince Sattam, who pledged to support the local tourism initiatives launched by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), said the Kingdom has a lot to offer for both domestic and international tourists.
Prince Sattam was speaking after formally inaugurating the high-profile tourism event entitled the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM)-2009 yesterday. This event, staged by the SCTA under the supervision of SCTA President Prince Sultan bin Salman, represents an important international occasion for featuring tourism investment opportunities in the Kingdom.
Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Council, attended the opening ceremony.
“This is a platform for exchanging opinions on key issues related to tourism and the travel industry, including investments in the sector,” Prince Sultan told a press conference following the formal inauguration.
Prince Sultan said the tourism industry globally would recover and be stronger than many other sectors despite global recession. “In the Kingdom, all our tourism projects and initiatives have been launched and are operational.”
Prince Sultan said the commission has surveyed more than 950 sites and all necessary information about these sites has been compiled for development.
Asked about the impact of global recession on the global tourism industry, Rifai said this industry has a key role to play in helping the world recover from the current turmoil. “History has demonstrated that crises can also provide opportunities as they call for substantial efforts and industry solidarity,” said Rifai.
The UNWTO official said that tourism has much to contribute to the recovery process with its “unique resurgence capacity and an immense potential in terms of employment creation and sustainability.”
Rifai said that SITTIM-2009 has provided a great opportunity for public and private sectors as well as international players to exchange ideas on how to increase awareness about tourism in the Kingdom and how to invest in tourism projects.
The four-day forum, being held under the title of “Tourism for All,” comprises four major sessions to be addressed by 29 speakers. The forum will review many prominent international experiences in the field of hotels, travel, tourism, and tourism destinations investment as well as exhibitions, conferences, and media tourism.
