The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) expects tourism spending in the Kingdom this year to exceed SR144.3 billion. The figure includes spending by domestic tourists and tourists coming from abroad to the Kingdom. The SCTH said it also expects Saudis to spend over SR86 billion on tourism abroad. Currently there are 11 international investment projects in the accommodation sector that will provide over 2,800 new hotel rooms. SCTH Director General in Makkah Province Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Amri said the directives of Prince Sultan Bin Salman, president of SCTH, stress the importance of supporting investors. "There ought to be keenness to provide the best international and local hotels in order to raise the standard of the tourism industry," he said. Al-Amri said tourism in the Kingdom was the second biggest sector attracting attention in terms of strategies to promote economic sectors after oil and petrochemicals, which dominated the economy for a long time. Al-Amri said figures and statistics indicate an optimistic future for the local tourism industry, especially in Jeddah. He added that 11 percent of spending by local tourists and those coming from abroad will be in Jeddah. Figures for 2015 in Jeddah indicate that there has been a 21 percent growth in domestic tourism in the city compared to 2014.
