The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) is reorganizing the travel market by targeting expatriates interested in the Kingdom's culture and history. The new plan will also provide more jobs to Saudi nationals by establishing tourist markets during the offseason periods. A source at the SCTA said the plan would act as a catalyst to turn tourism into a profit-making exercise all year around. This would also boost investments as several investors now are wary of pumping money into the sector owing to its dependence on holiday seasons. Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the SCTA, said the tourism commission is cooperating with the ministries of interior and foreign affairs to organize tourist trips for expatriates. He also urged tourist organizers to develop competitive packages that suit citizens and expatriates and advised them to devise appropriate strategies to attract expatriates, local media reports said. The commission, he said, is optimistic about the growth of this sector and its great contribution to domestic tourism by achieving economic goals and creating job opportunities for Saudi nationals in different regions of the Kingdom. Prince Sultan Bin Salman was talking to the media here this week after patronizing a workshop on acquainting people with the role of tourist groups . He called on organizers to benefit from citizens and expatriates vacationing within the Kingdom and enjoying its scenic locations and heritage. He also urged them to upgrade the standard of services and to diversify programs so that they suit this large market. Since its inception, he said, the SCTA has been focusing on local tourism and striving to improve tourist services and programs so that citizens can spend a good time in their country, while enjoying the high standards they are used to in foreign tourist destinations. He promised the SCTA will support tourist trip organizers and adopt any initiative by investors so as to improve the investment climate in the field. Meanwhile, Dr. Ali Al-Ghabban, Deputy President of SCTA for Antiquities and Museums, has revealed that the SCTA has retrieved over 14,000 artifacts, the majority of which were handed over voluntarily by people who had taken them outside the Kingdom. Some of the artifacts were returned under international regulations and as a result of the good relations with friendly countries and civil society institutions. Al-Ghabban said the retrieval of nearly 95 percent of the items from abroad was completed amicably. “This is the policy that has been implemented inside the Kingdom as well,” he said.
