Current location:Stellar Storyline news portal > politics
Saudi Arabia sets ambitious tourism goal
Stellar Storyline news portal2024-05-09 04:39:33【politics】4People have gathered around
IntroductionSaudi Arabia's tourism sector is booming after a banner year when the Arab kingdom welcomed more tha
Saudi Arabia's tourism sector is booming after a banner year when the Arab kingdom welcomed more than 140,000 Chinese travelers among 100 million tourists last year, surpassing its 2030 goal.
Gloria Guevara Manzo, chief special adviser at Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism, told China Daily that China was in the top three countries that "we would want to grow the most".
"Let's remember China also took more time after the pandemic to (fully) open and to allow outbound travel. And what we received last year was 140,000 Chinese," Manzo said in a video interview on March 13.
"That's a lot, considering the fact that we didn't have that many (Chinese visitors) before."
She then referred to Saudi Arabia's introduction of yearlong multiple-entry visas for international tourists in September 2019.
"Then, of course, came COVID, and we had to close, and then we reopened, but little by little. Some countries opened later, and especially countries in Asia," she said.
Riyadh's ambitious tourism plans, which set a target of 100 million visitors by 2030, were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic just as the Muslim-majority country had begun opening its doors to tourists who were not visiting for religious purposes.
Opening up travel was part of Vision 2030, a grand economic diversification plan introduced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in 2016. Expanding the tourism sector's GDP from 3 percent to 10 percent by 2030 was one of its goals.
"We're doing a lot of work to welcome more Chinese to come to the kingdom and hopefully, we will be able to see an important growth," Manzo said.
She said a lot has been done to boost connectivity, such as increased flights, as well as scaling up the training of tour guides to speak Mandarin.
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism is aiming for China to be among its top three markets by 2030 and is targeting 5 million Chinese travelers by then, it told China Daily.
Authorities have recently launched a Chinese version of the Visit Saudi website and Chinese language signs are in place at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The first batch of Saudi hoteliers and travel agents have also been sent to China for training.
Bookings, flights
Saudi Arabia has signed agreements with Chinese travel giants Trip.com and Ctrip, as well as Skyscanner, to drive awareness and bookings, in addition to establishing strategic partnerships with Chinese tech giants like Huawei, Alibaba and WeChat.
Expanding direct flights is also in the pipeline. There has been an agreement with Hainan Airlines to launch two new air routes in the second quarter of this year, while China Southern Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Beijing and Riyadh in April and between Shenzhen and Riyadh in June.
The latest visitor figures from China surpassed pre-pandemic levels, which were at an estimated 111,000 in 2019.
Manzo said Chinese tourists like visiting major cities and cultural locations like Jeddah and Al-Ula.
"It's very interesting that the culture is getting their attention," she said, noting that Chinese visitors also like Saudi traditions and hospitality.
Address of this article:http://samoa.mybodyonelife.com/news-43b799940.html
Very good!(93)
Related articles
- Hong Kong court bans 'Glory to Hong Kong' song
- DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Can PM climb this electoral mountain?
- Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent would rather make love with 'a cheese grater' than have sex with ex
- Chris Pratt films blood
- The opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship is delayed with rain in the forecast
- UK Conservatives suspend lawmaker as sleaze allegations swirl over possible misuse of party funds
- Choctaw artist Jeffrey Gibson is first Native American to represent the US solo at Venice Biennale
- Tesla's Cybertruck disaster: Insider reveals 'serious safety issues' behind scenes of EV rollout
- Jessica Biel reveals her unusual secret to getting red
- Leonardo DiCaprio tipped to play Frank Sinatra in new Martin Scorsese biopic
Popular articles
- Biden heads to Wisconsin to laud a new Microsoft facility, meet voters — and troll Trump
- How South Africa's former leader Zuma turned on his allies and became a surprise election foe
- Sarah Paulson, 49, talks aging gracefully without Botox: 'I don't shoot anything into my face'
- Children played just yards from where headless torso was found at nature reserve, police reveal
Recommended
Kim Kardashian being booed by crowd at Tom Brady roast edited out of final Netflix cut
Jennifer Lopez, 54, is a fresh
White House opposes potential stand
2 people smugglers sentenced to 9 years each in Spain for drowning deaths of migrants
Eurovision viewers SLAM 'epilepsy
Moment Home Office cops kick down door in dawn raid to smash 'sophisticated' people
China warns against US
Rosie Huntington
Links
- American Express, Fifth Third rise; Netflix, PPG Industries fall, Friday, 4/18/2024
- Firefighters douse a blaze at a historic Oregon hotel famously featured in 'The Shining'
- New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba may be the most interesting man in hockey, on and off the ice
- Dalai Lama’s sister receives award for educating Tibetans in exile — Radio Free Asia
- Collin Morikawa part of 4
- An Alabama prison warden is arrested on drug charges
- FAU hires Isaiah Austin, whose NBA playing plans were derailed, as an assistant coach
- Streamlined logistics allow landlocked regions to expand global reach
- Knicks and 76ers got past injuries that could've ruined them. Now they meet in playoffs
- The Florida Panthers are weird. And coach Paul Maurice says that as a compliment