Jeddah’s hotels, resorts and 8,000 furnished apartments are almost fully booked during the current spring vacation, say operators.

They say this is a 40 percent increase from previous years. It has been driven by intense competition among investors. Hotels were fully booked two to three weeks before the midterm holiday.

The industry operators cited a high turnout last Eid and this season because of various activities, festivals and discounts at shopping centers in Jeddah. “New furniture, upscale decorations and customized concierge services offered by apartment managers also attracted more tourists,” an apartment manager told Arab News.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) allowed the industry to increase fees between 30 and 50 percent.

An Arab News team discovered that apartment rates in new neighborhoods ranged between SR300 and SR500 a day, as opposed to SR200 to SR300 during off-peak seasons.

Vacationers Salem Al-Khaled and Sa’ad Al-Sharif said they were not happy with the increased prices for the level of services offered.

Khaled Al-Omari, an apartment manager in Jeddah, said that Saudis are more eager to spend their holidays in the city because of the cold weather in other parts of the Kingdom.

Resorts in Abhar are also currently popular with a 90 percent occupancy rate. Several resorts charge between SR1,500 and SR4,000 a night depending on the location and services.