MAKKAH/NAJRAN: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has admitted that tourism in the Kingdom is still lagging behind other countries in the world. This is because Saudis are not inclined to go on packaged domestic tours, preferring instead to travel as individuals. Only 100 permits have been granted to tour organizers so far. The SCTA considers this a small figure in relation to the vast area of the Kingdom and its religious and historical sites. Ahmad Al-Eisa, Director General of Licenses and Quality at the SCTA, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the permits granted to tour organizers do not cover the large number of religious and tourist sites in the Kingdom. He attributed the small number of permits to Saudis doing their own individual traveling in the Kingdom, rather than buying tourism packages. Changing this situation will require awareness campaigns, he said. In another development, the SCTA in Najran region has started an inspection tour of furnished apartments and housing units as part of the directives of the Licenses and Quality Administration, Al-Eisa said. he inspection campaign is to protect guests and tourists from being cheated, and to ensure that the services provided are up to official standards.
