SCTH: Organization of tourism events is a fiscal industry, a fully grown regulated sector
aTP- Arab tourism portal- The volume of economic returns from the tourism events in the Kingdom in the year 2015 were over SR 11 billion, generated through 300 festivals and events, including sale of tour packages and tourist accommodations, like hotels and chalets etc.
The impetus was largely due to revitalization of tourism activity in general in the markets, restaurants, and various service centers in the areas where festivals are held, adding economic movement in the festivals sites.
According to a source in the SCTH, the size of investment in 2015 in the event sector was over SR 100 million brought about through partaking in the investment by more than 130 companies and institutions in the sector.
SCTH has done a lot to establish different activities including event industry and various other activities, although, they do not represent events, but they are an important part of the events, such as markets, malls, transport and the like.
In 2015 public festivals received more than 11,700,000 visitors with a growth rate exceeding 15% from the previous year, and the spent surpassing 30% over the same period.
SCTH source expect a rise in economic returns from the tourism events up to SR 15 billion over the next two years, especially with the remarkable rise in the tourism activities, besides the diversity and increased turnout towards events.
Since the beginning of the tourist festivals in 2005 until now, the events have contributed to providing more than 70,000 temporary jobs through work in the events and activities associated with the festivals.
SCTH, throughout the past four years, has organized, sponsored and supported over 855 events distributed in various parts of the Kingdom. For instance, the number of events in 2011 was 139, in 2013 it was 209, in 2014, 247, and in 2015 they reached 300. They were varying between shopping, desert, heritage events as well as agricultural products events, sports and entertainment events.
A report released by SCTH stated that, the number of organized events in 2015 were: Makkah province 99 events, in Taif 42, in Baha 33, Najran 31, Riyadh province 96, Northern Borders region 34, Eastern Province 123, Hail 23, Al Jouf 41, Jazan province 45, Al Qassim 173, Tabuk 43, Asir 38, and Al Madina province 34.
Operators of tourism events gained good income from the public authorities, the actual organizers of the events, in addition to sales and fees inside the festival venues.
A number of economists expect the size of investments in the event industry to increase with a number of major companies involved in the expansion of this activity benefitting from the international expertise in this area.
Noteworthy, SCTH had announced a comprehensive development program for tourism events in the Kingdom during the period 2014-2018, to enable the sector to keep up with the citizens’ turnout towards the events that are professionally managed by specialized companies.
