If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
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. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
"eetinBelgië" 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 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
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.... |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
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 --- -- |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Following up to Dave Frightens Me
I do, but they would likely change their minds after a bit of learning... Thesinger liked it, can we call one of the great travellers wrong? -- 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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
The Reid writes:
Following up to Dave Frightens Me I do, but they would likely change their minds after a bit of learning... 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! Des |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Following up to Pat in TX
Just male tourists? I can't think of a single female who would voluntarily go there.... Mecca must be impressive, tour of the shrine with my wife and a few cool beers girl watching afterwards, just avoid the Haj, its a bit of a crush I hear....why are you all shaking your heads? -- 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 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
"Gregory Morrow" wrote in message oups.com... 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. Last time I checked, Saudi Arabia wouldn't issue visas to Jews, so there's no "voluntarily going" about it. -- Best Greg |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Saudi Arabia opens its doors to tourists
Saudia Arabia's problem (well ok, one of its *bigger* problems!) is
that the two cities that might be most interesting to tourists--Mecca and Medina--are and will presumably always be permanently closed to them. There might be a few natural sites that would be interesting, but Red Sea scuba diving and snorkeling are fairly easy off the coasts of Egypt and Aqaba in Jordan, so the attraction there seems pretty dim. About the only reason I could see someone going there would be to "collect" it. Lots of more interesting--and more welcoming/tolerant--countries to visit IMHO. Greg M. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Farangs describe the Disaster to BBC | [email protected] | Asia | 62 | December 31st, 2004 05:34 PM |
Inbound tourists advised to cancel trips to Thailand | [email protected] | Asia | 0 | December 27th, 2004 08:29 PM |
US fingerprint & photograph all foreign visitors except those on visa waiver | Howard Long | Air travel | 70 | January 11th, 2004 11:23 PM |
Saudi Police Foil Airliner Attack | Fly Guy | Air travel | 1 | December 31st, 2003 04:20 AM |
U.S. Urges Citizens to Leave Saudi Arabia | Meghan Powers | Air travel | 2 | December 18th, 2003 04:18 PM |