Despite intensive efforts to encourage domestic tourism in the Kingdom, some Saudi and expatriate tourists complain about the drawbacks of some of the nation's tourist centers, such as, the summer resort of Taif. High prices, a lack of tourist activities, shortage of water and dearth of green spaces are all cited as areas that require improvement before Taif can be considered a magnet for domestic tourists. With the recent opening of the new SR218 million Al-Hada road linking Makkah and Taif, many people decided to visit Taif this summer, only to return to Jeddah with decidedly mixed opinions. “This was the first time that my family and I visited Taif. When we heard about the new Al-Hada road we were encouraged to go there for a short summer vacation,” said Ma'moun Al-Shaher, a Syrian engineer working in a private company in Jeddah. “ Our journey was fine until we arrived at Al-Hada,” he added. According to Al-Shaher, he and his family faced a number of difficulties in Taif which ended in making them turn around and drive back to Jeddah on the same day. “When we arrived in Al-Hada, we were tired and hungry. I began searching for a furnished apartment and was shocked to find how high the prices were with some asking for as much as SR800 a day. By then, it was 5 P.M. and we learned that all the restaurants work in two shifts and that they would not open again until after 8 P.M. In the end, we decided to take a short rest sitting in a park, after which we returned to Jeddah,” Al-Shaher explained. A Saudi who went to Taif with his wife was upset because of the lack of green spaces and parks. “There are no parks, and no green areas. This really shocked us because we had a completely different idea about Taif,” said Ahmad Bukhari, a Saudi engineer working in private company. Men selling fruits and vegetables by the roadside said that the summer season is their best chance to earn some money, which is why they increase their prices. “We know that the tourists do not like the prices here which are higher than in Jeddah and other places in the Western Province, but the summer is our only chance to make some money,” said Ahmad Amin, who sells fruit in Taif. He added, “We only work in the summer, and are unemployed the rest of the year.” The rates charged by furnished apartments in Taif also increase dramatically in the summer with some saying that the water shortage is a part of the problem. Most homes in Taif suffer from the city's shortage of water and the owners of furnished apartments have to buy water at double the price which causes them to increase the rent that they charge. “We have to satisfy the tourists' needs, which is why we buy water, even though we have to pay twice the normal price. We then pass on the expense to the tourist by increasing the rent,” said Qassem Mamdoh, who works at the reception of a furnished apartment in Taif. Experts say that there is a need for more coordination between those involved in tourist festivals and events in Taif. “Preparing for the summer tourist season requires the coordination of officials in the Chamber of Commerce, Municipality, and Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to plan festivals, programs and other tourist activities in and around the Taif area, in addition to devising advertising campaigns so that tourists will know where and when these programs will take place,” said Luay Bin Saeed Kanetah, a member of the board of Taif Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a member of the SCTA tourism committee. “We are not denying the efforts that have been made by Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of the Makkah region, but there has been a lack of coordination between the organizers of some of this summer's events,” added Kanetah. “One of the biggest problems that we are facing is the water shortage, which has made much of Taif look like a desert,” he said.
