The Riyadh Travel Fair kicks off here in the Kingdom Tower on Tudesday.

The Philippines will be represented by the Department of Tourism (DoT) representatives Glenn Raymond Agustin and Stalingrad Samson, who will be joined by Glenn Johnston of AVIAREPS, and Antonio Rodriguez of Cebu Pacific.

They had met earlier with Philippine Embassy officials led by Ambassador Ezzedin H. Tago, in preparation for the Riyadh Travel Fair. The Filipino envoy encouraged the Filipino community to promote tourism among expatriates and Saudis and invite them to visit the Philippines during the holidays.

Saudi and GCC nationals do not need an entry visa for the Philippines if the duration of their visit is for a month or less. About 36,000 tourists from Saudi Arabia visited the Philippines in 2013, which is an increase of 30 percent from the previous year.