In the wobbly world of Saudi tourism things are looking up. Well, sort of. The tourism industry took a hit last month when the Saudi stock market fell more than 100 points in a single day, and the tourism sector recorded its worst performance by slipping 2.96 percent.
And visitors’ visas were inexplicably stopped for foreigners to visit the Dhiba governorate, 180 miles west of Tabuk, the region that features an endless pristine coastline with its coral reefs and unusual archaeological sites. Scuba diving was a top activity among foreign visitors. The region once attracted hundreds of American and European tourists, but numbers have fallen significantly with only domestic tourists visiting.
The issue as to whether Saudi Arabia will step up its game and encourage foreigners to spend their tourist dollars in the Kingdom remains rather murky. But that hasn’t stopped a number of Saudi entrepreneurs from mapping out a strategy to take advantage of this industry’s potential.
One intriguing tourism project is the brainchild of Aziza Turkistani, a Saudi woman who has been licensed for eight years to operate tours in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif. Her primary aim was to provide transportation for pilgrims to Makkah, but she is also focusing her business on attracting Saudi and GCC women with tourist packages to Makkah and Jeddah.
Perhaps more important, Turkistani sees the Saudi tourism sector as female-friendly since there are no social or religious issues that would prevent women from working as operators. Another Makkah tour operator, Aziz Awlya recently told a local magazine that he sees the potential for “green tourism” that more or less caters to re-energizing visitors who want a break from a hectic lifestyle. He sees the potential for safari packages that attract non-Muslim foreign visitors to the Kingdom’s seas, mountains and the Bedouin life. Indeed, once thought of as a wasteland, even by many Saudis, the desert holds the key to a thriving tourism industry. Dune riding, sand surfing and camel and horse races incorporate extreme sports and recreation with the Saudi lifestyle. A less physical aspect of a tourism package would be access to historic landmarks, such as Al-Hijr and At-Turaif District in Ad-Dir’iyah among the countless other historic areas. Tour packages to Makkah and Madinah are obvious choices for domestic and Muslim tourists, but the desert also provides a wider range of experiences for both domestic and foreign tourists that have yet been exploited to its greatest advantage.
While an additional benefit would be the increase in seasonal employment for young Saudis, the downside are Saudi Arabia’s rather lax environmental laws that could lead to damaging plant life, animal habitats and archaeological sites. Desert tourism could very well die out before it had a chance to bloom if strict laws protecting the desert are not passed before the number of tourists increase.
Many Saudis are unsure just how much we should open our country to foreigners. The idea of tourists, particularly non-Muslims roaming the deserts, mountains and even the souks in small villages can be a little disconcerting. We are not accustomed to such experiences.
But there is perhaps no better public relations campaign available that can change the perceptions of foreigners of our country than a cohesive strategy that allows visitors the freedom to explore without damaging our environment, our culture and threatening our religious way of life.
—
Email: [email protected]
