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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Following up to Des Small
Thesinger liked it, can we call one of the great travellers wrong? Can we call her opinions past their use-by date? Yes we can! Her? But yes we probably can. -- Mike Reid Walk-eat-photos UK "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" -- you can email us@ this site Walk-eat-photos Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" -- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap |
#12
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
eetinBelgië wrote: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...ixtrvhome.html Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists By Teresa Machan (Filed: 13/05/2006) Saudi Arabia hopes to attract a million visitors a year with the help of a new tourism visa. [snip] Mr Habiss said that concerns over Saudi Arabia's less-than-favourable image overseas were unfounded. "Saudi Arabia is part of the modern world now. We cannot continue to be isolated. The Western perception is different from the reality. Saudis are known for their hospitality, and visitors who come will feel very differently." Male and female visitors will have to cover up. Foreign females must don the full-length abaya, and women under 40 must be accompanied by a male relative. [snip] Does anyone see a huge contradiction between those two successive paragraphs, or is it just me? |
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
On Wed, 17 May 2006 07:03:23 -0500, "Pat in TX"
wrote: Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists By Teresa Machan (Filed: 13/05/2006) Saudi Arabia hopes to attract a million visitors a year with the help of a new tourism visa. Make that 999,999 Gerry Just male tourists? I can't think of a single female who would voluntarily go there.... I do, but they would likely change their minds after a bit of learning... -- --- DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com --- -- |
#14
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Tom Peel schrieb:
eetinBelgië schrieb: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...ixtrvhome.html Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists By Teresa Machan (Filed: 13/05/2006) Saudi Arabia hopes to attract a million visitors a year with the help of a new tourism visa. Eighteen approved tour operators in the kingdom have begun offering visa services as part of a series of tourism initiatives announced last week at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The Saudi government is also to begin issuing permits for tour guides from next month. Until now, Saudi Arabia has been a place where people go to work rather than play: the population of 24 million includes seven million foreign workers, 24,000 of them Britisf nationals. Alcohol is banned, as is photography of government buildings and palaces. Islamic principles and social customs are strictly observed and the country adheres to Sharia law, which allows corporal and capital punishment. In line with its Middle Eastern neighbours, the Saudi government has recognised the potential economic benefits of tourism as world oil reserves dwindle. Isn't it interesting that the countries with the largest oil reserves are the ones that are planning for a future without oil, while the rest of the world blunders onwards as if there were tomorrow. They need some oil fopr the air travel. However, it's not Europe. Regards & f'up2, ULF |
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Dave Frightens Me writes:
On Wed, 17 May 2006 15:21:22 +0100, The Reid wrote: its not just you. I suppose it doesn't really dawn on them how crap the restrictions on women seems to westerners. There probably aren't any women, gays or alcoholics in their focus groups :-) I read a story a few years back about a British guy that got 7 years in jail there for bringing in some chocolate liqueurs. And some of us were thinking Singapore was a **** location! Time Yoorp did an article on "How to survive Port Moresby": http://www.time.com/time/europe/tga/article/0,13005,901031208-552095,00.html, and the Economiste used to do regular Top 10 ******** features, but they're not mostly useful for calibrating holidays in sane places. Des |
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Tom Peel wrote: Isn't it interesting that the countries with the largest oil reserves are the ones that are planning for a future without oil, while the rest of the world blunders onwards as if there were tomorrow. Well, Canada seems to be doing a good job. Can't say the same for Russia, Nigeria, etc. I can't imagine much interest in Saudi tourism -- unless one is interested in camel races, etc...in any case Dubai, etc. will offer pretty stiff competition for the traveller's pocketbook for the foreseeable future... -- Best Greg |
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Pat in TX wrote: Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists By Teresa Machan (Filed: 13/05/2006) Saudi Arabia hopes to attract a million visitors a year with the help of a new tourism visa. Make that 999,999 Gerry Just male tourists? I can't think of a single female who would voluntarily go there.... Not only women, but also Jews and gays...the latter two groups have large amounts of disposable income, and women are often the deciding factor of where a family will holiday. -- Best Greg |
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Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
On Wed, 17 May 2006 15:21:22 +0100, The Reid
wrote: its not just you. I suppose it doesn't really dawn on them how crap the restrictions on women seems to westerners. There probably aren't any women, gays or alcoholics in their focus groups :-) I read a story a few years back about a British guy that got 7 years in jail there for bringing in some chocolate liqueurs. And some of us were thinking Singapore was a **** location! -- --- DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com --- -- |
#20
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eetinbelgie spammer
Cretinus debilitus
"eetinBelgië" a écrit dans le message de news: ... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ma...ixtrvhome.html Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists By Teresa Machan (Filed: 13/05/2006) Saudi Arabia hopes to attract a million visitors a year with the help of a new tourism visa. Eighteen approved tour operators in the kingdom have begun offering visa services as part of a series of tourism initiatives announced last week at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. The Saudi government is also to begin issuing permits for tour guides from next month. Until now, Saudi Arabia has been a place where people go to work rather than play: the population of 24 million includes seven million foreign workers, 24,000 of them Britisf nationals. Alcohol is banned, as is photography of government buildings and palaces. Islamic principles and social customs are strictly observed and the country adheres to Sharia law, which allows corporal and capital punishment. In line with its Middle Eastern neighbours, the Saudi government has recognised the potential economic benefits of tourism as world oil reserves dwindle. Raed Habiss, managing director of one of the tour operators, Destinations of the Kingdom, said Saudi Arabia was keen to attract British visitors and would offer attractive rates to travel agents. Among the first deals on offer was seven nights at a five-star hotel in Jeddah, including guided tours, from £750 (excluding flights). "It is a country of cultural and geographical diversity," Mr Habiss said. "As well as coast, mountains and desert, we have spectacular heritage sites, unexplored dive sites and theme parks designed by Disney engineers." Wildlife includes the Arabian leopard and the oryx. Hoteliers are also showing confidence in Saudi Arabia. Hilton has chosen Jeddah for its first all-suite property, to open later this month, and the Swiss chain Mövenpick has signed contracts for three properties in the country, including a five-star hotel in Yanbu on the Red Sea coast. The luxury American chain Rosewood is to open a third hotel in Jeddah, which, in a first for the country, will have a dedicated female floor staffed entirely by women. Last month, Bmi began a three-times weekly service from Heathrow to Jeddah to complement a similar service to Riyadh, launched last year. A spokesman said there had been a steady increase in passengers using the Riyadh service and similar traffic was expected to Jeddah. A Saudi Arabian low-cost airline, Sama, is due to be launched this summer. Mr Habiss said that concerns over Saudi Arabia's less-than-favourable image overseas were unfounded. "Saudi Arabia is part of the modern world now. We cannot continue to be isolated. The Western perception is different from the reality. Saudis are known for their hospitality, and visitors who come will feel very differently." Male and female visitors will have to cover up. Foreign females must don the full-length abaya, and women under 40 must be accompanied by a male relative. A tourist visa can be issued as part of a package to groups of a minimum four people. No British tour operators have immediate plans to feature Saudi Arabia, but Kuoni, which offers trips to Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and the UAE, will wait to gauge demand. |
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