Saudi tries to boost tourism in Gulf
Saudi tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khatib confirmed on Monday that the Kingdom is leading major efforts to improve local tourism with Gulf countries through various initiatives, including the unified visa for the Gulf region, in which travelers are allowed to enjoy 30 days in the Gulf countries. During his participation in the ministerial speech entitled “Enhancing tourism activities by exploring new destinations and exchanging cultures in the present and future” at the aviation 2024 conference, Al-Khatib said that the tourism and aviation sectors have become more powerful than ever in history.
He added that during the past year, the Kingdom has surpassed the levels of tourism after the Corona pandemic to reach a growth level of 122 percent, explaining that this continuous growth in the sector contributed to the revision of the goals. He pointed out that one of the goals achieved was to welcome about 100 million visitors last year, as this figure was reached seven years earlier than planned.
Meanwhile, work is underway to raise the target to welcome up to 150 million visitors by 2030, including more than 70 million international tourists. He explained that the noticeable increase in demand in the Kingdom and the Gulf requires additional airlines and that the Civil Aviation Authority, coordinators, travel agencies, investors, airports, airlines, the tourist experience program, and tour operators are all working towards achieving a sustainable integrated system.
He stressed that the sector is ready to be a powerful engine for the economy by contributing about 10 percent to the GDP and achieving 6.1 million jobs, with plans to double the number of expatriates. ”We are working together to improve the capabilities and communication through air navigation lines to meet the growing demand for tourism, as the Ministry of Tourism established the Air Link program in 2021, and over the past two years, 28 air lines connecting Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam to new destinations have been opened,” he added.
These air routes not only provide new travel options but also provide opportunities to improve bilateral relations, find partnerships for business activities, facilitate dialogue between leaders and citizens, and bring inspiration for cultural exchange. Minister Al-Khatib concluded, “We are looking forward to the Kingdom, and tourism in it is based on cooperation with these integrated systems of air routes and air connectivity as the main center, and I am convinced that the kingdom will set better and stronger targets to continue to achieve innovation in all areas.” — KUNA