Saudi Arabia: As kingdom opens up to tourists, will people visit?

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A time-lapse shows devotees taking part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
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Saudi Arabia announced Friday that it would begin issuing visas for international visitors, a major step in opening up the Middle East’s largest sovereign state to tourism.

Who will go?

The oil-rich kingdom has a poor human rights record. Nearly a year ago, dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Saudi government custody, and the kingdom continues to imprison other journalists. The country severely restricts freedom of speech and expression, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and religious freedom for non-Muslims.

Since 2015, the Saudis have waged war on a group of rebels in nearby Yemen. The conflict there has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians.

Still, those who study international tourism and hospitality say that a combination of geography, history and culture could make the kingdom an attractive tourist destination.

“We often visit places where we don’t agree with the politics,” said Jonathon Day, an associate professor at the Purdue University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “People are curious to visit these places to see what they’re like.”

Lucrative markets: Europe, China

Rich Harrill, a research professor at the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management at the University of South Carolina, said tourism could help Saudi Arabia diversify its economy, which is highly dependent on oil production.

“One day when the oil’s gone, what do you have left?” he asked. “Tourism is a magnet for other types of development.” 

Saudi Arabia’s tourism base would likely draw from Europe and China because of their proximity and population.

“Tourism to the Middle East has largely been a European market,” Harrill said, “The Saudis would like to open that up.”

Harrill added that China, the world’s most populated country and its No. 2 economy behind the United States, will soon be the world’s largest inbound and outbound tourism market. “That’s a very lucrative market for the Saudis to cultivate,” he said.

Turning Saudi Arabia into a destination will take some effort. Visitors will need to take care to respect the country’s cultural norms, such as dressing more modestly when they go to the beach. The kingdom may need to adapt some of its rules to foreign visitors – perhaps relaxing its ban on alcoholic beverages. 

“It’s going to require an adjustment on both sides,” Harrill said. “Everybody needs to do their homework.”

Day said some Americans may be eager to visit because it was previously off-limits.  

“There will be Americans who want to go just because it’s new,” he said. “It hasn’t been available to them.”

Is it safe for Americans to go?

The State Department ranks countries on a scale of 1 to 4 for their relative risks to American visitors.

It currently ranks Saudi Arabia as a 2, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution” due to terrorism and “the threat of missile and drone attacks on civilian targets.”

It urges Americans to avoid travel within 50 miles of the Yemen border.

Yemen is among the countries the State Department ranks as a 4, advising Americans “do not travel.” Iran, Iraq and North Korea also fall into this category.

Countries that rank in the same travel risk category as Saudi Arabia include Russia, China and Cuba.

Harrill said Saudi Arabia could look to its Middle Eastern neighbors for examples of how to become a welcoming place for tourists. He cites Oman as an example for its beaches and its openness to visitors.

He said the Saudis could promote their stock of cultural assets, including five United Nations world heritage sites.

Though Day said there isn’t much research tying increased tourism to decreased conflict, he said “people-to-people diplomacy” can produce positive outcomes.

“We get a far richer understanding of each other,” he said. “We understand them as people rather than through a political lens.”

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