Riyadh – Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, president of Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, minister of Transport and chairman of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) have signed an integration agreement between both authorities aiming at supporting Saudi Arabian tourism destinations.

The agreement inked in Riyadh has included an executive work program based on urging national and local aviation companies on concentrating their local flights among different regions in the Kingdom all across the year especially during the peak periods and tourism seasons.

GACA will also support exhibitions organized by the tourism authority and will offer special services in halls of arrival and departure for people participating in these exhibitions. According to the agreement, both authorities will encourage businessmen on launching investments in tourism sector like hotels, galleries and conferences halls in airports; they will also work on supporting e-tourism, developing human resources by supporting education and training infrastructure, and establishing shopping areas in airports.

Both parties will also cooperate in exchanging data on rates of travelers, visitors, and the destinations they chose; they will also establish centers for tourism-related information in airports so people can receive them for free.

GACA will provide support for festivals organized by the tourism authority in different region in the Kingdom; information concerning festivals in executive offices; services centers for travelers in the airport; visual screens and advertisement boards in airports.

The two authorities will work on highlighting architectural heritage through brochures, documentaries, and publications; stores to sell handicraft will also be opened in airports arrival and departure halls.

During a press conference held after the agreement’s inking, Prince Sultan said that Saudi Arabia is witnessing a strategic integration between industries of aviation and tourism and noted that the Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and GACA have worked according to a clear partnership program.

His Highness added that both authorities will implement different projects to promote roads aiming at providing better transportation services for citizens and tourists.

Sulaiman Al-Hamdan said that his authority will make all its efforts in backing the tourism commission and will support all its programs in boosting national tourism across the Kingdom aiming at responding to the high demand on local tourism.