TAIF: Prince Sultan bin Salman, secretary-general of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, stressed the need to offer affordable process for domestic tourists.
“The high price of tourism products is an issue that concerns government departments and the private sector alike. It should be studied and any complaint from the people should be redressed,” Prince Sultan said while speaking after signing a memorandum of understanding with Abdul Ilah Banaja, president of the University of Taif, at the commission’s pavilion in the Souk Okaz Festival in Taif on Wednesday.
Prince Sultan added that as part of the commission’s efforts to keep the costs of tourist accommodations affordable, the commission started classifying tourism services into cost levels. He hoped that the government would approve a scheme for financing residences for tourists.
The agreement that was signed for collaboration between the university and the commission for training youths in handling and preserving historical artifacts and sites, as well as conducting studies on tourism-related matters.
“The commission will also implement a number of projects in collaboration with the university. One of the projects to be jointly launched is Tamkin,” the prince said.
The Tamkin project aims at offering employment opportunities in the tourism sector in addition to promoting domestic tourism facilities so that a tourist may get all tourism products in the country without traveling abroad.
“Prince Sultan added that the emphasis of the commission currently is on developing the huge domestic tourism market, which needs building the required infrastructure with the help of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and other related departments.
Stressing the importance of the Souk Okaz Festival, Prince Sultan said: “Souk Okaz represents a great shift in the activities of the commission. It involves the revival of cultural and heritage activities, including the expansion of heritage village projects and the restoration of the national heritage,” the prince said.
The Souk Okaz cultural festival kicked off Tuesday with a variety of events, including a drama focusing on the life of ancient Arab poet Amru Al-Qais and a performance by Saudi singer Mohammed Abdu.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal launched the third annual event attempting to revive the spirit of the ancient souk, which dates back to pre-Islamic days.
A 700-meter-long avenue at the festival site boasts features reflecting the market’s daily life in times gone by.
They include some 70 shops selling handicrafts and agricultural and animal products, as well as souvenir shops, traditional and modern food stands and coffee shops.
