Come vacation season, Saudi families and expats working in the Kingdom are jet set to travel — to explore and relax, whether within the country, elsewhere in the region or in wider world. It is estimated that 4.5 million Saudis tourists will go abroad this year, spending a staggering SR70 billion in the process — a 40 percent rise on last year.

Since 9/11, according to travel agents, there has been a noticeable shift in travel patterns among Saudis, however. When on vacation they increasingly prefer to travel within the Kingdom or region, or head to South Asia and the Far East rather than the United States and Europe. It is not all to do with politics. Cost comes into it as well, indeed is probably the real determining factor in choice of destination — the US and Europe are the certainly among the most expensive of destinations. Not that the picture is that simple. The story from European consulates in the Kingdom is that they are issuing more visas than ever. And despite the shift in focus over the past eight years, the travel industry still expects a ten percent rise this year in Saudi visitors to North America, South Africa and Australia. Meanwhile, on the streets of Geneva, London and Paris, there does not seem to be any visible drop in the number of Saudi visitor at all.

Saudi Arabia’s domestic travel facilities are focused mainly on the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. There are, however, the secular attractions of places such as Abha, Baha and Taif in the south. There is also Madain Saleh near Madinah, one of the country’s major historical locations and, since last year, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. These major tourist attractions in Saudi Arabia point at the cultural and historical richness of the country. Moreover, exploring Saudi Arabia is relatively easy; transportation is convenient, swift and inexpensive.

The country is busy developing tourist infrastructure. Travel agents are now in the thick of the Umrah season which started in February and will continue for another three months. According to Jeddah-based Elaf Travel and Tourism, around 3.5 million pilgrims are expected to visit during the current Umrah season.

Religious tourism in Saudi generates around SR26.3 billion annually, according to recent reports, and the government has allocated some SR140 billion in related tourism infrastructure and transport systems. These include a high-speed railway system linking Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah. As part of the religious tourism sector’s robust growth, a number of hotel chains, among them Elaf, Accor, Hilton and InterContinental, have been strengthening their presence in the three cities, opening new hotels, not to mention developing various hospitality and tourism projects elsewhere in the Kingdom.

Tarek Nabulsi, deputy CEO of the Saudi-based Elaf Group, is confident about growth. For him, global travel has become more affordable. Discounts, promotions and highly competitive airline prices have all contributed to a significant increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims arriving and strong growth within the Saudi tourist market. “Elaf intends to cater to the new requirements of the burgeoning religious tourism sector by expanding our portfolio of hotel facilities in the key cities of Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah,” he says. His prognosis is that Saudi Arabia will earn a total of SR13 billion during the current Umrah season. He believes the figure will strengthen the country’s status as a leading Middle East tourist destination and hotel market.

For Saudis venturing abroad, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are the most popular regional destinations. In the Far East, Malaysia far remains the most popular, followed by Singapore and Indonesia.

Airlines and tourism offices from various countries vie to attract Saudi families. Leading the fray are Singapore and Malaysia. Jason Ong, the Singapore Tourism Board’s area director for Middle East and Africa, waxes lyrical over the attractions of the island and the bargains to be had there. His counterpart at the regional office of Tourism Malaysia, Abdul Rahman Shaari, is no less effusive. The country can cater to every traveler’s taste and interest, from Kuala Lumpur’s bustling city life or sandy beaches in Penang or Langkawi to eco-trips in Sabah and Sarawak. Visitors can even have both in one bite. The two tourism boards, in association with Singapore Airlines, have clubbed together to offer Middle East travelers a “cool” offer to escape the Middle East’s extreme summer temperatures. The package consists of a two-night stay in Singapore and another two-night stay in one of Malaysia’s various holiday destinations — including Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

Also eyeing Saudi travelers, Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air has launched its summer season services to three new destinations: Aleppo, Alexandria and Salalah.

Alexandria, the biggest city on the Mediterranean, has long been a favorite family summer resort for Saudis. The evidence is in the sheer numbers of Saudis who take up residence there in summer, many of whom own apartments in the city, and in the number of direct flights between it and the Kingdom, usually around eight a day each way.

The number of flights to Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, equally attests to its popularity. With its imposing citadel and world famous souk, it offers plenty to those interested in culture, heritage or just simple family relaxation.

For its part, Salalah provides a welcome relief with its cool climate, monsoon rains, misty mountains, flowing wadis and verdant gardens while the popular Salalah Khareef Festival offers fascinating family entertainment.

Turkey has long been another popular destination and recently, for the first time, a Turkish tourism delegation visited the Kingdom to promote its attractions. Salih Ozer, culture and information counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Riyadh, says that it hopes to have over 100,000 Saudi tourists this year. It is a bold target — a 66 percent increase on the 60,000 who visited last year — but not impossible; the 2008 figure was 50 percent up on that of 2007, when 40,000 Saudi tourists visited.

Germany likewise expects to attract many more Saudis this year than before. “Despite the world credit crunch, Germany is one of the few Western countries whose tourist business continues to thrive,” Horst Lommatzsch, director of Frankfurt-based German National Tourist Board told Arab News. “We are fully geared up to meet the requirements of Saudi vacationers.”

“A majority of Gulf travelers to Germany are from Saudi Arabia and they are high spenders,” Lommatzsch said, adding that German tourist locations are well equipped with the needs of Arab travelers, with mosques, halal meat and Arabic speakers. Last year, Saudi visitors to Germany averaged 19 days in the country each.

“Tourist places including spas and scenery, and facilities for higher education in English language courses, medicine and engineering abound in Germany that has also become a major attraction for shopping. What is more, the entire country has a safe environment,” German Consul General Dr. Michael Zickerick said.

Switzerland and the UK, however, remain the favorite Saudi destinations in Europe.