The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has launched a Marketing Council to help sell the city as a tourist destination locally and internationally, said Sheikh Saleh Kamel, Chairman of the JCCI. He said the body will first market Jeddah as a tourist attraction in the Kingdom and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries before launching its international marketing plan. In a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Kamel said the council's first activity would be the launch of the Jeddah Shopping Festival 2012, entitled “This is Jeddah”. Lowai Hisham Nazer will act as chairman of the council. Adnan Mandoura, JCCI Secretary General, said the one-month-long Jeddah Shopping Festival 2012 (starting Jan. 18) is the ideal event to start the work of the new body. He said the major objective of the council is to boost the economy of the city. There are also plans to ensure that the city attracts top regional and international conferences, exhibitions and festivals. Nazer said the body will play a key role in marketing the city as a tourist attraction. He pointed out that the shopping festival's organizing committee has used the Internet to inform the public here and abroad about the event. He said the organizing committee has designed the festival to attract millions of visitors with its entertainment programs and discounts of over 70 percent.
