The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities has decided to market Saudi Arabia as a tourism destination at regional and international levels. The 18th meeting of the Board of Directors of the commission, chaired by Prince Sultan Bin Salman on Tuesday night reviewed the SCTA performance in 2008 and chalked out future plans while finding ways to execute its ambitious national tourism plan. To give a major thrust to national tourism plans the board also decided to turn state-owned heritage buildings into heritage hotels. The country's historic centers and traditional markets will come under the supervision of the municipality. Ali Abdulwahid of SCTA Media Department said the board has decided to work in close cooperation with different government agencies related with the tourism and travel sector such as Saudi Arabian Airlines and the Ministry of Culture and Information, among others, to promote Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination. The SCTA board comprehensively evaluated the plans and projects to streamline the processes expected to be achieved during 2009-10. Abdulwahid said a company with a mandate to study turning heritage buildings into hotels will be set up. He said the board has decided to establish four heritage villages in different areas of the Kingdom: Al-Ghath in Riyadh, Jobba (Hail), Al-Oula (Madina) and Zian (Al-Baha). A number of important decisions were taken at the board meeting aimed at reinforcing the Kingdom's tourism industry and attracting investments in the sector's various ongoing and future projects. The meeting discussed the future vision of tourism investment, work progress of the Red Sea Development Project and a number of other major tourism destinations in the Kingdom. Developing the Kingdom's market for MICE (meeting incentives for conferences and exhibitions) was another major topic. In fact, MICE accounted for 17 percent of total tourism spending in the Kingdom, a SCTA press statement said. The SCTA prepared a comprehensive plan to develop the MICE market by providing quality services with high-tech facilities. This will be done in association with other government departments, including the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), it said.
