Midterm school break to boost domestic tourism

Popular holiday destinations across the Kingdom are gearing up for yet another tourist season with the midterm school break in Saudi schools beginning this week after the examinations are over. Students and parents alike are awaiting the beginning of the holiday period.
According to an official of the Riyadh municipality, all departments concerned have been instructed to keep in top condition and even upgrade all the places students might frequent in their leisure time, including public parks, walkways and playgrounds. Keeping the tourist season in mind, the department of licensing and quality assurance of the Saudi Commission Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has intensified its efforts for a successful season.
"Efforts have been intensified to step up monitoring of hotels and furnished apartments by inspection teams across the Kingdom to ensure a smooth season," said Omar Al-Mubarak, director of licensing and quality assurance department.
He added that this intense preparation for the midterm break are in line with our efforts in different seasons and holidays during which the demand for tourism accommodation facilities rises substantially.
The SCTA has also planned a series of festivals during the break to make domestic tourism attractive. The upcoming midterm break will witness 29 tourist festivals and events that are scheduled to take place throughout the Kingdom. They will be organized by the provincial tourism development councils and their associate partners, an SCTA official said. The SCTA and its partners have concluded all preparations for these events including social, cultural, sport and entertainment, he added.
Sharing his excitement, Abdullah Alduailej, a school student in Riyadh, said: "i have one paper left on Tuesday. After that i am going on holiday trip with my family." When asked about his favorite holiday destinations, he kept silent for a moment and then said: "Abha, Tabuk and Taif."
Mohammad Albedawi, an elementary school student, was equally excited. "I was waiting for my exams to finish. Now I am looking forward to an entertaining winter break with my family."
According to a local daily, Saudis spend on average SR20,000 per trip to various overseas destinations and about 4.5 million Saudi tourists take at least one holiday each year spending as much as six times the amount of Western holidaymakers. According to another study citing government figures, tourists from the Kingdom are the world’s biggest spenders when they head abroad, spending about 14 billion pounds, or over SR79 billion, every year.
The Kingdom is looking forward to further develop its domestic tourism industry, which can contribute handsomely to the national economy and help create more employment opportunities for Saudi youth.