Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has described tourism as an important factor for economic development.
"Tourism has become the fastest growing sector in the economy and it is one of the main employers," he said. The prince was talking during the second session of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) meeting Thursday. The meeting constituted part of the conference of G20 ministers of tourism in Mexico.
Prince Sultan told the meeting that he had wonderful figures from the American participants who informed him that tourism in the US was targeting about 100 million people and was making about $ 210 billion annually. "As the largest economy in the world, the US considers tourism the fastest growing sector of its economy," Prince Sultan said.
During the past eight years the SCTA had tried to create suitable jobs for the Saudi youth. "Jobs linked to tourist activities in the Kingdom reached 670,000, employing 110,000 Saudis who represent about 28 percent of the total manpower," he said.
Tourism fastest growing sector of economy
