Business intelligence firm Business Monitor International (BMI) has forecasted that tourist arrivals in Saudi Arabia will grow five per cent year-on-year to 12.91 million in 2010.

Influx is expected to grow further by an average of 6.5 per cent year-on-year through 2014, driven by Saudi Arabia’s growing popularity among religious and business travelers, it said.

“Saudi Arabia is home to two of Islam’s holiest cities and several historic sites and is also either a base or a stopover for numerous multinational corporations,” said Peter Blackburn, CEO, Cristal Hotels and Resorts, one of the fastest-growing hotel chains in Abu Dhabi.

“These have combined to turn Saudi Arabia into a major tourism hub. We intend to apply our formula for successful entry into other key Gulf countries such as Qatar to this very promising market. One area we will focus on is to encourage Saudi nationals, who are consummate travelers, to consider taking their vacations in their own homeland instead,” he added.

In line with BMI’s forecast, Cristal has confirmed plans to expand in Saudi Arabia.

The expansion plans in Saudi Arabia will encompass Riyadh, Jeddah, Khobar and Makkah.

Cristal said that it is being encouraged to enhance its Saudi presence due to the government’s focus on tourism as part of its comprehensive diversification agenda.

The Saudi government is keen on developing its domestic tourism market, given that citizens spend millions on their annual travels abroad, said a statement.

The number of Saudi nationals travelling abroad is expected to rise from around 8.07 million in 2009 to almost 11 million by 2014, the statement added. – TradeArabia News Service