The Saudi-based travel, tourism and hospitality company Elaf Group launched a series of strategic marketing tours Tuesday to seven countries in order to boost Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry.
The marketing tour will travel to Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia, Tunisia and the United Kingdom to present travel packages to tourists planning to visit Saudi Arabia while promoting popular local tourist attractions in the Kingdom.
Elam Group is prioritizing religious tourism since Saudi Arabia is attracting an ever-increasing number of worshipers who are visiting the Kingdom’s holy sites to fulfill religious duties.
Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, Elaf Group president, said the growth of religious tourism in the Kingdom is also driving economic development.
“Religious tourism plays a crucial role in Saudi Arabia’s steady economic development,” Mahfouz said. “As a key local industry player, we at Elaf Group have long recognized the socioeconomic value of promoting and further developing the entire domestic tourism industry.”
The annual number of religious tourists traveling to Saudi Arabia is expected to increase from around 17.5 million last year to between 25 and 30 million by 2025.
Those predictions have prompted the Saudi government to invest in heavy infrastructure projects to meet the growing demand for tourist accommodation. Among those projects are the construction of the Mecca metro line, an expansion of Madinah’s main airport and the development of more luxury hotels in the two holy cities.
