Nearly 40 percent of the visitors were from the Kingdom, which represented about 52,800 people, and around 70,000 visitors came from GCC countries, which is around 53 percent of the total number of visitors.
Abdul Karim bin Salem Al-Hunainy, undersecretary at Asir governorate, said the fact that the festival has attracted Gulf tourists and not just Saudis reflects Asir’s success in becoming a destination for family tourism in the Gulf.
“The 11-day festival entertained visitors with varied, multicultural entertainment and education programs tailored to the needs of different social classes in the Gulf. Programs were designed by tourism, training and entertainment experts,” Al-Hunainy said.
Yemen, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have direct flights to Abha International Airport.
“The festival used a well-rounded outreach campaign, including electronic channels, to ensure its success in attracting a wide diversity of tourists,” Al-Hunainy .
Ali Sharab, founder of Forsan Al-Hayat, said: “The debut edition of this festival was a huge success. It also set a new phase in the tourist festivals, not only in the UAE but also in the Gulf. Edutainment is much needed at this stage and we look forward to spreading this concept in the festivals to come.”
