To facilitate sustainable growth and the success of the national tourism project, the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) launched the School Tourism Education Program to instill a culture of tourism in 500,000 students in the Kingdom. The ambitious School Tourism Education Program, called “Smile”, is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and various municipalities in the Kingdom. “By the end of the training program, SCTA in cooperation with the Ministry of Education will have offered training to 500,000 students across the Kingdom,” said Yousef Al-Khalfan, Program Coordinator and Educational Supervisor in Al-Ahsa's Provincial Tourism Organization (PTO). Al-Khalfan in a press statement said that during the three stages of the program around 12,000 students in Al-Ahsa municipality alone will receive training. He said the third phase of the program will be launched during the next semester (February/March, 2010) in Al-Ahsa. The program will be implemented in collaboration with Al-Ahsa Municipality and Al-Ahsa PTO. Al-Khalfan said the program in its third phase aimed to train 78,000 students across the Kingdom, 3,000 of whom are students from Al-Ahsa belonging to secondary and higher secondary schools. Smile has made a quantum leap in the mindset of society, he said. The program has the basic concept of disseminating information about tourism and creating a culture that appreciates the value of tourism. He said it is necessary to achieve meaningful community-based education by combining concepts of tourism in education. The basic aim of the program is to strengthen the sense of belonging and of national loyalty against the backdrop of the rising importance of national tourism, he said. Education in all aspects such as civic sense and preservation of historical sites is very significant, he said. “The idea is to deepen the concepts of tourism education aimed at members of the community and to instill tourism culture in the minds of the younger generation,” he said. Al-Khalfan said Smile, which was launched in 2008, received the Special Jury Prize of UNWTO's Ulysses Award. He said concerted efforts will be taken in close partnership with industry leaders and all stakeholders to inspire and create an environment in which the tourism industry can achieve a high level of self sufficiency. A suitable education in tourism will go a long way to encourage school children to pursue the subject in their higher studies. Saudi Arabia has opened a college of tourism and hospitality in four cities including Riyadh, Madina, Taif and Al-Ahsa. This reflects the desire of the government of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to promote sustainable development in all sectors and create job opportunities for Saudi nationals, especially the youth.
