An Economics professor stressed the importance of domestic tourism and said vacationers should limit their spending because costs are rising, especially because the vacation season includes Ramadan and Eid, followed by the back-to-school period, all of which have their costs. Professor Muqbil Al-Thukair of King Abdul Aziz University said that there have been clear improvements in domestic tourism, but there is a need to make things baetter. “We can't make our weather nice, but we can make our dealings with domestic tourists and the services better,” he said. “Dubai is an example; it overcame the obstruction of very hot weather by developing classy, diverse, integrated services that start from the moment a visitor steps into the airport.” Some people who take domestic vacations complain about the prices of services and say they are higher than they are in other countries, but in general this is not true, Al-Thukair said. “The rise in prices is a global phenomenon, but most of us do not hesitate to spend abroad, but not domestically, as if services here are supposed to be introduced for free or for nominal prices,” he said. “This is not reasonable because businesses also face increased costs. Prices for hotels, restaurants and amusement parks in the Kingdom are cheaper than abroad, Al-Thukair said.Discussing families' spending domestically and abroad, he said that traveling every year is not a must, but it's best to plan ahead. “If a family decides to travel, it is wise to plan early because it can save 30 percent of the cost,” he said, “Unfortunately, most people do not know this. Another thing to do to reduce costs is not to head for a place, town, city or street that has the most people visiting it. It is also wise to change destinations each year and avoid traveling in the very peak of the season.” Haytham Naseer, a businessman and owner of tourist projects, said domestic tourism is relatively affordable. Five-star hotels in Egypt, Dubai and Lebanon cost about SR1,500 and they cost SR800 in Saudi Arabia, he said, adding that restaurants in Beirut are much more expensive than they are in the Kingdom, he said. __
