Current location:travel >>
Saudi Arabia sets ambitious tourism goal
travel576People 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.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Space news portal”。http://iceland.downmusic.org/article-87f099862.html
Related articles
Messi in and Dybala out in Argentina squad for pre
travelBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi is in and Paulo Dybala is out of Argentina’s squad for f ...
【travel】
Read moreChina Fashion Week S/S 2023 kicks off in Beijing
travelModels present creations by designer Xiong Ying during the opening fashion show of China Fashion Wee ...
【travel】
Read moreAnnual spring farming ceremony held in China's Tibet
travelA villager arranges the decoration of a tractor at a ceremony marking the start of spring farming in ...
【travel】
Read more
Popular articles
- Digital technologies restore looks of 2,200
- Carriers sanguine on travel season
- Xiplomacy: Cooperation a Shared Aspiration of Chinese, American People
- China expected to continue contributing over 30% to global growth in 2024: economist
- College baseball notebook: Conference tournaments to decide NCAA automatic bids and many at
- COSCO Shipping to bulk up with 80 new vessels
Latest articles
Hilarious moment mother asks her Cocker Spaniel to help choose her lottery numbers
Joint exhibition of tri
China may overtake Japan in patent filings at EPO
New completion rules released for China to optimize the business environment
Ravens sign WR Qadir Ismail, the son of former NFL receiver Qadry Ismail
China endeavors to keep ancient city of Pingyao alive
LINKS
- Lawyer for former top lawmaker in Michigan House expects he will be charged
- A top Federal Reserve official opens door to keeping rates high for longer
- Firefighting variant of AG600 seaplane ready for type certification
- Bank of America's Q1 profits fall 18% on higher expenses, charge
- Coverage of China's basic medical insurance stable
- Early voting for S. Korea's parliamentary elections kicks off
- Stephen Mulhern's forgotten romance with EastEnders star after they met in Panto
- Weedkiller manufacturer seeks lawmakers' help to squelch claims it failed to warn about cancer
- Josie Gibson's dating history: From falling for her Big Brother co
- The US ambassador to Japan says boosting arms industry ties is key to a stronger security alliance