Tourist resorts and chalets in Jeddah are attracting more tourists, with response rising to 80 percent during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday. Simultaeously, occupancy in these resorts has reached 100 percent and the price hikes 80 percent. Specialists in the recreation sector confirmed that the reason why tourists are attracted to these resorts is the scarcity in big tourism projects especially in the entertainment sector. Apart from this, there are no recreation cities that could attract tourists. This contributed to the rise in prices, Al-Madina Arabic daily said. The specialists further said that some resort owners have started competing in providing the best services at reasonable prices so as to attract more tourists. The services include providing free meals to the guests, (open) buffets in the resorts or a free night if the guest books for more than four nights. The specialists stressed the necessity for international companies to enter the Kingdom so as to increase the volume of investments and set up more tourist resorts. These investors can also develop small rest houses that form 60 percent of the tourist resorts sector. Chairman of the Tourism National Committee Dr. Abdullatif Al-Afaleq confirmed that the tourist resorts and chalets attract most of the tourists and citizens due to the shortage in big tourist projects in the entertainment sector, aside from the nonexistence of attractive recreation cities. He stressed the necessity to set up more tourist resorts and chalets in the agricultural and desert areas, apart from establishing big recreation cities that are capable of accommodating more tourists. Researcher Mishal Al-Nafei said that occupancy in the tourist resorts and chalets has reached the peak — 100 percent — during the Eid holiday due to the high demand, less supply and nonexistence of big recreation cities. He said that some resort owners have started competing by providing the best services at reasonable prices. Their aim is to attract more tourists to their facilities. Muhammad Al-Kaabi, manager of one of the companies specializing in the management and operation of hotels and tourist resorts, said tourist resorts and chalets have attracted 80 percent of the tourists during the Eid Al-Fitr period compared to regular days. This has contributed to hike in prices in these resorts by 50 to 80 percent due to the increasing demand, lack of tourist resorts and competition from the small resorts that form 60 percent of the recreation resorts sector. He called for the entry of international companies so as to increase investments, set up more tourist resorts and develop the small resorts. Al-Kaabi added that some tourist resorts have closed all bookings since the beginning of the last ten days of Ramadan. He expects the rise in revenues for these resorts to reach 70 percent during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday compared to other days.
