09/03/2011
Tourism revenue to cross SR232bn by 2020
Through a study conducted by the Center for Studies and Research at Asharqia Chamber
Saudi Arabia’s tourism revenue is expected to cross SR232 billion by 2020, according to a study conducted by the Center for Studies and Research at Asharqia Chamber.
The study estimated the Kingdom’s tourism revenue for 2010 at SR66 billion, 4.7 percent more than in 2009.
The study pointed out that Saudi Arabia was second after Egypt in tourism revenue in the Middle East, accounting for 21 percent of total tourism revenue.
The study called for a partnership between the public and private sectors in order to remove obstacles standing in the way of tourism projects.
It identified a number of factors that could boost tourism in the Eastern Province, including wildlife reserves, natural scenes, the coastal areas, the Empty Quarter and heritage centers.
There are 695 cultural and heritage centers in the Eastern Province, representing about 9.1 percent of the total (7,624) archaeological and heritage sites in the country, the study pointed out.
The study indicated that there are a lot of investment opportunities in the province’s tourism and service sectors, as well as in related businesses such as handicrafts.
The study pointed out the tourism sector has been instrumental in providing jobs to a large number of Saudis. In 2009 alone, 493,000 Saudis got direct jobs and 668,000 Saudis indirect jobs in the sector.
It emphasized the need to promote electronic marketing for tourism after training Saudis to do the job. Efforts should be made to ensure quality of service in electronic tourism services, it added.
The study stressed the importance of setting up a tourism development fund to finance small and medium tourism projects in various parts of the country.
It also called for introducing new products such as marine and desert tourism, conference tourism and scientific and technological forums.
