Despite the worldwide economic crisis, a statistical report shows that 870,000 Saudi tourists spent SR4.7 billion vacationing abroad this year. The report released by the Data Center for Tourism Research “MAS” of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities said Saudi tourists who traveled abroad this summer spent on average SR5,400 per person. The report indicated that Bahrain topped the list of the destinations of Saudis for the second consecutive year with 406,500 tourists. Jordan was second with 169,000 tourists and UAE third with 78,000 tourists. Meanwhile, the SCTA reported that it is scheduled to start Saturday two training courses in Riyadh and Jeddah for university and college professors who are interested in working as tourist guides. Dr. Abdullah Bin Suliman Al-Wachail, Director of the SCTA's National Project for Development of Human Resources, said the tourism body has received the consent of the World Federation of Tourist Guides Association WFTGA for the nomination of two of the licensed guides for the training courses.
