Lost in a happy article published in this newspaper last week about yet another photography contest sponsored by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) was a little nugget of information about the state of tourism in the Kingdom.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of SCTA, told reporters that the biggest obstacle to successfully attracting tourists is the sorry state of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure.
“There is a lack of accommodation facilities, tourism services and huge pressure on the airlines because of the Kingdom’s bad roads, which make commuting by cars a backbreaking experience,” Prince Sultan said. His remarks followed previous comments a few weeks ago from Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar that tourism is the key to a strong Saudi economy.
There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is committed to promoting tourism. Prince Khaled recently inaugurated the Laureate College for Tourism and Hospitality in Riyadh that will teach up to 2,000 students in 48 classrooms hospitality curriculum with extensive tourism-related training programs. This is all good news, of course, except for the tiny niggling thing that Prince Sultan brought up: The sorry state of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure. It’s not an issue of training Saudis and giving them jobs. It’s not an issue of having interesting venues to visit. Makkah, Madinah, the riches of the desert, the Red Sea coast and the many organized tours and activities popping up all over the Kingdom is testament to the country’s willingness to expand the tourism sector.
But we consistently fail in developing a healthy infrastructure to ensure our vision of a strong tourism industry is materialized. It’s often said that a country’s commitment to safety is measured by how it maintains its roads and enforces its traffic laws. Does anybody who owns a car and drives the streets honestly believe there is such a commitment to safety and comfort in the Kingdom?
Around Jeddah we drive roads pockmarked with potholes, curbs are crumbling due to neglect and abuse, sidewalks are virtually non-existent and roads are poorly marked. Even new construction to improve road conditions is a safety hazard because construction zones are poorly marked and detours offer little warning to drivers. Street lighting remains poor. It’s a daily struggle for Saudis and expats to navigate the roads.
Imagine how a tourist unfamiliar with our peculiar road system will find driving. Add that the outlaw nature of the act of driving itself and we have a country that is not particularly warm in its welcome to guests. We also still have an acute shortage of hotels and resorts to accommodate visitors. Family-oriented restaurants catering to the needs of non-GCC residents also are few.
“Tourism is an important economic sector and promises business opportunities” said Prince Khaled recently.
Yet we risk losing those business opportunities by failing to take seriously, the hardships tourists are likely to face. It’s wonderful to find a well-trained and warm-hearted Saudi to provide services to visitors to the Kingdom. But if those visitors are exhausted, hungry and cranky and peeved at the ordeal of getting to that vacation spot in the first place, then Saudi Arabia will quickly earn the reputation of a place that should be avoided.
Email: sabria_j@hotmail.com
Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of SCTA, told reporters that the biggest obstacle to successfully attracting tourists is the sorry state of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure.
“There is a lack of accommodation facilities, tourism services and huge pressure on the airlines because of the Kingdom’s bad roads, which make commuting by cars a backbreaking experience,” Prince Sultan said. His remarks followed previous comments a few weeks ago from Riyadh Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar that tourism is the key to a strong Saudi economy.
There is no doubt that Saudi Arabia is committed to promoting tourism. Prince Khaled recently inaugurated the Laureate College for Tourism and Hospitality in Riyadh that will teach up to 2,000 students in 48 classrooms hospitality curriculum with extensive tourism-related training programs. This is all good news, of course, except for the tiny niggling thing that Prince Sultan brought up: The sorry state of Saudi Arabia’s infrastructure. It’s not an issue of training Saudis and giving them jobs. It’s not an issue of having interesting venues to visit. Makkah, Madinah, the riches of the desert, the Red Sea coast and the many organized tours and activities popping up all over the Kingdom is testament to the country’s willingness to expand the tourism sector.
But we consistently fail in developing a healthy infrastructure to ensure our vision of a strong tourism industry is materialized. It’s often said that a country’s commitment to safety is measured by how it maintains its roads and enforces its traffic laws. Does anybody who owns a car and drives the streets honestly believe there is such a commitment to safety and comfort in the Kingdom?
Around Jeddah we drive roads pockmarked with potholes, curbs are crumbling due to neglect and abuse, sidewalks are virtually non-existent and roads are poorly marked. Even new construction to improve road conditions is a safety hazard because construction zones are poorly marked and detours offer little warning to drivers. Street lighting remains poor. It’s a daily struggle for Saudis and expats to navigate the roads.
Imagine how a tourist unfamiliar with our peculiar road system will find driving. Add that the outlaw nature of the act of driving itself and we have a country that is not particularly warm in its welcome to guests. We also still have an acute shortage of hotels and resorts to accommodate visitors. Family-oriented restaurants catering to the needs of non-GCC residents also are few.
“Tourism is an important economic sector and promises business opportunities” said Prince Khaled recently.
Yet we risk losing those business opportunities by failing to take seriously, the hardships tourists are likely to face. It’s wonderful to find a well-trained and warm-hearted Saudi to provide services to visitors to the Kingdom. But if those visitors are exhausted, hungry and cranky and peeved at the ordeal of getting to that vacation spot in the first place, then Saudi Arabia will quickly earn the reputation of a place that should be avoided.
Email: sabria_j@hotmail.com
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