Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The National Center for the Human Resources Development (Takamul), an affiliate of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH), has carried out 542 training programs in cooperation with a number of government and private sectors. The target of these programs was enriching the “Visitor Experience” program in order to raise the readiness and efficiency of those associated with government and private sectors in serving the visitors.

A recent report from Takamul Center revealed that 14,727 Saudi men and women, who represent service providers from government and non-government organizations, have benefited from these programs.Trainers, nominated by partners of SCTH, participated in the implementation of these programs while Takamul Center made these trainers qualified through making them available of four programs.

The training program included three main axes — knowledge, skills and value. The axis of knowledge involved the identification of tourism and its importance in the world and the Kingdom, as well as the most important features of tourism in the Kingdom, the general concept of service; methods to raise the quality of the plan presented to the visitor; dealing with visitors from different cultures; besides taking into account the behaviors and public morals that must be maintained.

On the skill side, they were trained in the methods of service evaluation continuously in order to improve the level of service provided to visitors; assess customer satisfaction and solve problems efficiently through improvisation skill. As for the values of the training program, it was stressed that serving the tourists in the best possible manner would reflect national identity; the service provider needs to act in a way respecting different cultures and finally the need to take responsibility for the success of the visitor’s experience.

The training programs have benefited a number of employees of the security sectors in the Ministry of Interior, especially the Directorate General of Passports and Public Security, as well as airports and ports across the Kingdom in addition to sectors concerned with providing services to visitors of the Public Transport Authority; the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice; travel and tourist guides; staffers in the tourist contact center, museums and heritage villages; and students of tourism disciplines in universities, training and educational institutions.

According to the national tourism strategy approved by the Council of Ministers recently, the Kingdom will receive 100 million visitors annually by 2030, compared to about 41 million visitors at present, while the number of jobs available in the sector would surge to 1.6 million compared to 600,000 jobs at present.