Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) announcing the launch of Saudi Voyager at a ceremony in the Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh, RIYADH: Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), launched Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Voyager, a tourism magazine aimed at expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia and foreign tourists. “Discover! Saudi Arabia” was the theme of the launch ceremony held at the SCTA premises in the Diplomatic Quarter. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, senior SCTA officials and members of the business community were also present. Prince Sultan also announced that the SCTA will initiate Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards starting from 2011. Prince Sultan said the trial issue of Saudi Voyager, an 80-page glossy magazine, has received rave reviews from both within and outside the Kingdom. He said the magazine will cover topics that include Saudi heritage sites, regional tourist spots, excursion sites and festivals. The Prince said Saudi Voyager will also invite comments from its readers that will be published in the editorial columns of the magazine. He said the magazine will dedicate a regular page for the public to identify their favorite tourist places in the Kingdom. “Saudi Voyager is the first step aimed at enhancing tourism industry standards and performance, based on which the Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards will be presented,” he said. He said the content of the magazine will not only be a source of information, but also educate readers about the huge potential that the Saudi tourism industry can offer and allow them to discover Saudi Arabia. Majed A. Al-Sheddi, Saudi Voyager Editor-in-Chief and SCTA PR Department Chief, told Saudi Gazette that about 30,000 copies of the magazine will be printed and distributed within and outside the Kingdom. Published on behalf of SCTA by Alef International, Saudi Voyager will be a quarterly magazine available on newsstands throughout the Kingdom. The magazine will also be distributed to foreign diplomatic missions within and outside Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards will comprise eight sections with 25 sub-categories. Abdullah Al-Jehani, SCTA Vice-President for Marketing and Media, also present on the occasion, said the categories for Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards will include accommodation, shopping and entertainment, best summer festival, food and catering, transport, tour and travel, best conference, special recognition award and a Prince's Award. A website dedicated to the awards will be created soon. Nominations for Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards must be related to activities in the calendar year 2010. The last date for sending nominations is January 31, 2011. The Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards will be presented during the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market (STTIM) ceremony in Riyadh on March 29, 2011, Al-Jehani said. A panel of experts in the field of tourism and online voting from the public will decide the winners. The winners short-listed for the award will be announced in February 2011, he said. The winners of the Saudi Excellence in Tourism Awards will receive a trophy. The media coverage will serve as an excellent marketing tool for the winners of the awards that might include a tour guide, hotel concierge, hotel, restaurant or tour and travel agency, he said. Alef Publishing and Media has been appointed to handle the SCTA Awards program.
