YANBU: The Yanbu Spring Festival has seen an influx of tourists but also skyrocketing prices which have left many complaining bitterly. The rent at summer resorts, hotels and furnished flats have jumped to SR2,600 a day. This had forced many hard-pressed locals to seek out cheaper rest houses. To their surprise they found rents at these places had also jumped, to SR1,000 a day. They also found such poor services and infrastructure that their holidays have turned into living nightmares. The unprecedented demand for furnished flats has resulted in many real estate owners hanging signs apologizing for the non-availability of vacant flats. Tourists are now asking the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to restrain owners from trying to make huge profits at the expense of tourists. They say that a two-room chalet now costs SR17,000. Ibrahim Al-Johani, a real estate expert, blamed municipal officials for not allocating land for tourism investment. He said the daily rental of a chalet in neighboring countries is SR150 including breakfast. He said these high prices will slow down domestic tourism and explains why many citizens prefer foreign countries. He said another problem was the lack of easy loans to allow investment in tourism.
