Current location:Earth Edges news portal > world
Saudi Arabia sets ambitious tourism goal
Earth Edges news portal2024-04-30 01:49:00【world】6People have gathered around
IntroductionSaudi Arabia's tourism sector is booming after a banner year when the Arab kingdom welcomed more
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://nicaragua.fivesixgroup.com/html-47e199865.html
Very good!(96276)
Related articles
- Hong Kong transgender activist gets ID card reflecting gender change after yearslong legal battle
- Embassy welcomes 'home' overseas Chinese
- DPP manipulates tourism for political purposes, harms cross
- Shenzhou XVI crew looks forward to challenge
- Cicadas are so noisy in South Carolina that residents are calling the police
- China urges U.S. to cease sending wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" forces
- China unveils ambitious plans to expand its space station
- Xi sends congratulatory letter on completion, operation of Qinling Station in Antarctica
- China's Shanxi culture, tourism promotion event held in Morocco
- Fourth Volume of 'Xi Jinping: The Governance of China' Published in Ethnic
Popular articles
Recommended
China mulls law on customs duties
Romanian artists share China travel experiences
Huawei offers robotics training at student fair in Kenya
Switzerland to facilitate Chinese travel: Foreign Minister
NFL mock draft 2025: Titans take Carson Beck No. 1; Giants select Shedeur Sanders in top 10
Xi Urges Young Officials to Take on Historical Task on New Journey
Number of flights gradually increasing
China champions peace, development, confronts jackals, wolves head on
Links
- Andrew Scott speaks out on his 'wonderful' friendship with All Of Us Strangers co
- Xi plants trees in Beijing, urging nationwide afforestation efforts for beautiful China
- China unveils plan to promote trade
- Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy stays atop Chinese box office
- Inside Drake's decade
- China's first homegrown polar icebreaker Xuelong 2 to visit HKSAR in April
- Chinese courts highlight child protection during divorce trials
- Israeli airstrike kills 9 Palestinians in Gaza's Rafah
- At least 37 mothers killed daily in Gaza: medics
- Project renovating old residences revitalizes ancient city