Saudi Gazette

 

“I’m definitely going to Turkey this year!,” an excited woman announces to her family as she leaves the exhibition hall. 

 

Many visitors cried similar phrases, carrying bags of brochures and pamphlets at the 2015 Jeddah Travel and Tourism Exhibition (JTTX).

With the summer vacation coming up, Turkey has been attracting Saudis lately by diversifying its tourism industry. 

 

Saudis no longer just visit Istanbul for a short vacation; there is much more to do in Turkey that attracts Saudi citizens in the past couple of years.

 

Turkish Airlines, a participant in the fair, aims to attract Saudi travelers not only into going to Turkish destinations but elsewhere. 

 

Senthilkumar Vedaiyan, the regional marketing representative, says: “We aim to make Turkey a transit point for travelers going to Europe”.

 

He added that Saudis prefer going to Turkey because of the affordable prices and safety as opposed to other countries in the Middle East which are undergoing violent unrest. 

 

Turkish Airlines plans to compete with Dubai as a transit hub.

A recent phenomenon that lures Saudis to different Turkish cities is medical tourism. 

 

Serkan Celen, director of MTT Travel, says that the number of Saudi traveling to Turkey for medical treatment has been on the rise for the different kinds of plastic surgery and hair transplants that are soft to the pocket.

 

 Many Saudis have also been buying property in Turkey in recent years. The country's real estate market is seeing a boom due to the frequent visits.

 

Also, Turkey has diverse regions with beautiful scenery to attract people.

 

The Saudi-Turkish trade has also seen a significant economic growth. 

 

With around 500,000 Turkish citizens visiting Makkah and Madinah each year, the Umrah and Haj services are promoting packages and diverse plans for 2015. 

 

Programs range widely between low-cost and luxury services.

 

Both Saudi and Turkish agencies are offering different kinds of attractive travel packages for Saudi families and honeymooners for all seasons of the year. Relying heavily on the Saudi market, the Turkish tourism industry predicts an increase in the number of travelers in 2015.

 

 

Mayor Hani Aburas attended the opening of the Jeddah International Travel and Tourism Exhibition on Wednesday at the Hilton Corniche Hotel. Sponsored by Prince Mishaal Bin Majid, the exhibition is being organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and 4M Events.

 

With 150 booths exhibiting, visitors were introduced to tourism packages and presentations of 10 different countries. Destinations include Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia, and many more. The latest addition is Abu Dhabi, a blooming and thriving capital.

 

Recent announcement by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman on promoting local tourism ties well with the timing of the event.

 

Mayor Aburas expressed Jeddah’s importance in tourism as it plays a vital role in its economic growth. He added that the city greets an annual rate of more than 3 million visitors, making it a major economic and tourist destination.

 

“The city has achieved many successful projects so far, and plans to pursue more,” he said “These projects include new investments in cultural and heritage sites in the near future. The recent participation in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites makes Jeddah a model for other cities.”

 

Maya Helfawi, the general director of the exhibition, explained that the main goal of the event is to exchange skills and knowledge between participants in the tourism sector as well as invite visitors to discover new and exciting destinations.

 

“We are also promoting local travel in Saudi Arabia, a country that enjoys rich and diverse culture especially in Islamic and Arabian tradition,” she added.

 

With the recent growth in local tourism, the exhibition aims to reach more than 100 billion SR in local flights by 2020.

 

 The newest participant in this year’s fair is Abu Dhabi. General Director Sultan Almansouri said “Saudi tourists contribute a large share of our market, constituting 250,000 hotel guests, making 32 percent of total visitors.” 

 

The exhibit is ongoing and will end at 11 p.m. on February 6.