Al-Riyadh daily

The expenditure by Saudis on travel and tourism is estimated to be more than SR 80 billion a year – a huge figure equal to the state budget of some countries. It is clear that we must develop and improve the performance of the domestic tourism sector to capitalize on the money that Saudis are spending abroad. However, some indicators have recently shown that the volume of expenditure on domestic tourism has actually decreased.

This means that the tourism sector is in need of a stronger infrastructure that can accommodate hotels and entertainment facilities as well as airports and can serve a gigantic number of tourists. The south of the Kingdom enjoys mild weather and mesmerizing scenery in addition to countless tourist attractions. More investments should be made in the south as most of the cities and towns there have what it takes to be attractive tourist destinations. Generally speaking, the Kingdom boasts varied topography and climate. The role of the private sector and investors is important here and they should be encouraged to invest in the south and should be provided with more facilities to stimulate them.

Of course, there are challenges that must be overcome in the future in order to transform the national economy into a more vital and productive system by depending on tourism, which is one of the most important economic drivers for the creation of job opportunities. We are all responsible for promoting and developing the tourism sector, and by that, I mean the private and public sectors as well as members of the public. We can use the help of foreign tourism experts who have considerable experience in the field and we can also benefit from global practices and study similar models in other countries.

The Qiddiya Project and the Red Sea Project show the great capability of the tourism sector and the rich opportunities it provides. We must take advantage of these resources to develop domestic tourism for the greater benefit of the national economy.