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RIYADH: Saudis see the tourism industry as capable of providing long-term job stablity, according to a study by the Ministry of Tourism.

The analysis, carried out in 2021 with the cooperation of Digital Research Co., showed that 75 percent of the study participants were positive about the job opportunities available in the sector.

Some 83 percent expressed that working in the tourism sub-sectors would be a very suitable option, Saudi Press Agency reported.

In general, 80 percent of the study participants expressed that there are many opportunities for career learning and professional development in these areas, while 75 percent of them indicated that these jobs are capable of providing long-term job stability.

Tabuk topped the Kingdom’s regions in the interest in tourism jobs, with a rate of 91 percent, followed by Asir with 86 percent, Riyadh by 82 percent and Al-Jouf with 83 percent.

These results are important for the ministry to turn them into implementable initiatives, to stimulate the growth of tourism in Saudi Arabia and create more rewarding opportunities for citizens, Bandar Al-Safeer, general manager of nationalization and training at the Ministry of Tourism, explained.

More young Saudis are now interested in joining a career in tourism over other traditional industries such as petrochemicals and oil and gas as they see jobs related to Saudi Vision 2030 are the future, a recent study by the Red Sea Development Co. showed.

Nine out of ten young Saudis, or 90 percent, are interested in pursuing a career in tourism, compared to just over three quarters, or 77 percent, who are interested in petrochemical careers, the study revealed.

Saudi Arabia has been accelerating its efforts to improve its tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism announced in January the establishment of the Global Tourism Academy, in coordination with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, which will be based in Riyadh.

Around 226,000 people registered in the ministry’s electronic training platform, while more than 137,000 were trained through Your Future is in Tourism last year, exceeding the campaign’s goals of creating 100,000 jobs.

As the sector’s workers increased by 10 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, many major companies announced the expansion of their activities within the Kingdom in the hospitality sector, which provides new job opportunities for Saudis.

The ministry of tourism aims to create one million new jobs in the sector, and raise its contribution to the gross domestic product to 10 percent by 2030, in line with the Vision 2030 and the National Tourism Strategy.