Saudi Arabia accounted for more than $5.9 billion (Dh21.67bn) in outbound tourism expenditure from about four million tourists in 2008 with London and the United States topping the list of favourite destinations for Saudi tourists.
Other regional destinations attractive for Saudi tourists include the UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Oman and Syria, while Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have emerged as top Asian destinations for outbound tourists from the kingdom, according to the Elaf Group of Companies, a business organisation serving the Saudi travel, tourism and hotel industries.
Singapore saw 23 per cent increase in tourists from Saudi Arabia in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the Singapore Tourism Board.
Majed Saud Kaki, Assistant General Manager, Elaf Group of Companies, said: "The significant reduction in travel costs has further boosted outbound travel in the kingdom as an increasing number of residents are now exploring new destinations. Elaf has provided the infrastructure to support the growing interest for outbound travel through a new call centre that makes it a lot more convenient for tourists to plan their travel itinerary."
Elaf also opened a new call centre in Jeddah and has introduced corporate packages for exhibition organisers and exhibitors from Saudi Arabia as part of a strategy to capitalise on the robust growth in outbound tourism market.
"We also cater to the travel needs of the corporate sector and have introduced services that help companies organise their annual meetings or facilitate their participation in conferences and other trade events in key business destinations," said Kaki.
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