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esidents, and will be considered separately under the heading of international tourism
(Box 4.1).
Statistics compiled by the Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh (1999) indicate that most
domestic tourism is by families and youths, with peak periods being spring and summer -
when the main school holidays take place, and statutory holidays such as Eid al Fitr
following Ramadan. Tourist destinations within the Kingdom fall into three groups: (1)
natural sites, often characterised by high rainfall and low ambient temperatures, e.g. Asir,
Hail, Taif and Tabuk; (2) coastal sites, e.g. Jeddah and Jizan; and (3) holy sites, i.e.
Makkah and Medina (a small proportion of pilgrims to the holy cities will be Saudi
nationals; for convenience I will consider all pilgrims in the section on international
tourism).
Following the infrastructure developments of the 1980s, the Kingdom is well-placed to
develop domestic tourism (Ady and Waller 1989, 1992; Bin Sultan 1999): for example
there are 25 airports with a frequent and reliable domestic air service; a sealed,
maintained network of modern roads linking all major and most minor settlements;
national and private bus companies; 380 major hotels, 290 hospitals (CoC, Riyadh 1999),
and 10 telephones per 100 people (Ministry of PTT 1999). However, a lack of family
oriented accommodation and entertainment has been cited as a reason why many Saudis
choose to holiday outside the Kingdom, in the Gulf States, Jordan, Syria and Egypt Ady
and Waller 1992; NTF 1999).
Tourism development has largely been a regional rather than national initiative;
developing according to the interest and ability of provincial government (Emara). By far
the most active of the Provinces has been Asir, under the leadership of its Governor
HRH Prince Khaled bin Faisal. I consider the Asir below as an example of the potential
for Saudi tourism to provide development opportunities, but also environmental
impacts.
Case Study: The Asir Experience (source: NTC, Abha 1999)
Asir Province encompasses the hill cities of Abha, the provincial capital, Khamis
Mushayt and Bisha, and contains the Asir National Park - a large recreation zone
administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water’s Department of National Parks.
The province enjoys the highest rainfall in the Kingdom and the lowest summer
temperatures. This, together with the spectacular scenery and lush vegetation, has made
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