Number of tourists down by 12 percent

Hotels offer special rates,
discounts for visitors

The Ministry of Tourism said the number of tourists in the first half of 2013 reached 623, 864 visitors, down by 12 percent compared to last year.

Visitors from Arab Countries were the most concerned, dropping by 23 percent. Iraqis still top visitors with more than 13,000 arrivals in June 2013 alone, followed by Jordanians and Egyptians, with 7,500 and 5,600 arrivals respectively.

“Saudis used to be the number one tourists in our visitors’ lists. Now they are not even in the top five,” said Cynthia Flouty, Director of Sales at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

According to her, a new “top five” list has emerged in the last two years, with Iraqis at the top, followed by Jordanians, Lebanese expatriates, Egyptians, and Turkish nationals.

Tourists from Europe and Africa were the least affected, dropping only by 2.3 and 1.2 percent respectively. “Although this drop was minimal, it has a lower impact than the drop among Arab tourists,” said Flouty. Apart from Arab visitors, other tourists weigh little on the local economy and the performance of its sectors, she said.

According to Flouty, European tourists are mainly British business travelers whose stay rarely exceeds three nights. As for Europeans traveling for leisure, she said they favor three star hotels, and are less demanding than any other business travelers.

Most hotels are dealing with the stagnant market by offering lower rates and discounts of up to 50 percent, as well as special packages.