A sizable number of Saudis look positively at jobs in the tourism sector, according to a study by the kingdom’s Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Digital Research Company (DRC).
Key findings indicate that 75 percent of Saudis have a positive perception towards jobs in tourism, with 83 percent saying that jobs across tourism subsectors were an attractive option.
Overall, 80 percent of respondents felt that there were plenty of opportunities for career learning and professional development, while 75 percent felt careers in tourism will provide long-term job stability.
The regions with the highest interest in careers in tourism include Tabuk (91 percent), Hail (86 percent), Asir (85 percent), Riyadh (82 percent) and Al Jouf (83 percent).
Interestingly, there was no significant difference by gender when it comes to overall sector interest level.
Local media reports said the Ministry is playing a critical role in the advancement of the tourism sector, announcing the Tourism Academy in Riyadh in collaboration with UNWTO, and activating its online training portal which exceeded 226,000 registrants and training more than 137,000 people throughout the “Your Future is Tourism” program in 2021.
These recent developments in the Saudi tourism sector resulted in the increase of the number of employees in the tourism sector to 10 percent in comparison with 2020.
In addition, huge players in the hospitality industry are investing in Saudi Arabia, creating new job opportunities for Saudis and showing that there is strong confidence in the future of Saudi Tourism.
In line with Vision 2030 and the National Tourism Strategy, the Ministry aims to create 1 million new jobs across the sector by 2030 and increase the contribution in the national GDP to 10 percent.
Bandar AlSafeer, General Manager of Tourism Nationalization and Training commented: “The Ministry of Tourism’s job attractiveness study provides a clear indication of the positive contribution that Saudi’s nascent tourism is making towards the realization of Vision 2030’s objective to create engaging and enriching prospects for Saudis.”