Country: SPA
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khatib praised the strong performance of the hotel sector in the Kingdom and the high rates of occupancy it witnessed, indicating that the tourism sector in the Kingdom recorded historical numbers in terms of occupancy rates and the number of visitors from abroad, as the number of visitors during the month of January reached 2.4 million visitors, while it increased The number during February, which witnessed the entry of 2.5 million visitors to the Kingdom.
His Excellency noted the great support that the tourism sector enjoys from the wise leadership – may God preserve it – which had a great impact on achieving successes.
This came during the fifth monthly meeting of His Excellency the Minister of Tourism with investors and citizens in the tourism sector in the Kingdom, which was held virtually with the participation of a large number of owners and investors in the sector from various regions of the Kingdom.
His Excellency the Minister of Tourism started the meeting by talking about the importance of adhering to the new regulations approved by the Ministry to upgrade the sector within the new tourism system, noting that the deadline set by the Ministry for harmonization will end on March 25, and everyone must quickly correct their situation.
His Excellency indicated that the Ministry is looking forward to the cooperation of all, especially the owners of the hospitality sector in Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, which will witness a large turnout during the Umrah season in Ramadan, and a high occupancy rate that may reach 100%, which requires improving service and commitment to high quality. Stressing that the ministry will be present around the clock through its observers and inspectors to ensure the extent of commitment in providing high-end services to the pilgrims.
His Excellency stressed that the regulations issued by the Ministry are clear, and must be adhered to by all workers in the sector without exception, stressing that the Ministry will play its role in terms of monitoring and imposing penalties on violators, as the body that enacts special legislation aimed at manufacturing a vital sector that lives up to the aspirations of the governors. The matter, in addition to tightening control over the market, especially with regard to violations of tourist guides, and that the Ministry is keen to have qualified guides working in this field who have correct, sufficient, accurate and non-misinformation.
Al-Khatib explained that most visitors, whether from home or abroad, want to learn about each region of the Kingdom in terms of history, heritage, culture, customs, ways of trade and living, past and present, which requires licensing guides who are at the same level of greatness that characterizes the regions of the Kingdom.
He stressed that the ministry will stress the issue of inspection of licensed tour guides, and there will be no complacency or negligence, because the history, culture and civilization of the Kingdom, this great country; It must reach the world in a correct and sufficient manner, whether through tourist guides or the websites and platforms that the Ministry is working on continuously, which define the Kingdom as the “Spirit of Saudi Arabia” that contains comprehensive information about the Kingdom.
His Excellency the Minister of Tourism stressed the issue of Emiratisation, stressing that Emiratisation is an issue that will not be accepted for discussion or postponement, and that there are a large number of people in the Kingdom who wish to work in this sector, and that the Ministry has trained more than 100,000 young men and women, 10,400 of whom were trained abroad. The state spent more than 400 million riyals on it, and employing them is the responsibility of the ministry, so everyone should cooperate to achieve this goal.
His Excellency called on the participants in the meeting to support the Ministry and work with it to achieve common goals, in a way that contributes to improving the sector’s performance. Pointing out that the ministry is in the process of establishing a technical support team to facilitate the process of communication between the ministry and workers in the tourism sector, to ensure the speed of immediate response.