A Saudi tour guide stands inside a tomb at Madain Saleh antiquities site, al-Ula, Saudi Arabia February 10, 2019. Stephen Kalin, Reuters
Reuters Images
The Saudi Ministry of Tourism started taking punitive measures against 150 tourism offices across the Kingdom after detecting their violations.
The tour operators and travel and tourism agencies were found involved in providing unlicensed services and activities during inspection campaigns carried out by the ministry officials. Penalties will be imposed on violators, in accordance with the provisions of the Tourism Law and its executive regulations.
The ministry officials conducted approximately 300 inspection tours, covering the regions of Riyadh, Madinah, Al-Baha, Jazan, and Al-Ahsa. The inspections were carried out in participation with several relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Public Security Department; Ministry of Transport and Logistics; Ministry of Municipalities and Housing; Ministry of Hajj and Umrah; and the Transport General Authority.
The ministry emphasized the importance of tourism offices’ commitment to obtaining the necessary licenses from the Ministry of Tourism, in accordance with the provisions of the Tourism Law and its executive regulations. This is to ensure the provision of high-quality services to tourists and visitors and to keep pace with the rapid developments witnessed by the tourism sector in the Kingdom
