MANILA: Philippine officials are in talks with Saudi tourism players to add more flights between their countries and develop a joint travel promotion campaign, the department of tourism said as Manila seeks to strengthen tourism ties with the Kingdom.
Tourism Undersecretary Verna C. Buensuceso led the Philippine delegation at the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly earlier this month in Riyadh. On the sidelines of the event, she met with Saudia Airlines’ sales general manager, Abdulrahman Alabdulwahab, and Riyadh Air Vice President for Network Planning and Partnerships Wolfgang Reuss.
They held “separate discussions … on the expansion of air connectivity and the development of joint tourism promotion initiatives,” the tourism department said in a statement.
With tourism being a key sector for the Philippines, its government has been trying to attract more Middle Eastern visitors by creating Muslim-friendly destinations and ensuring that they have access to halal products and services.
Saudi travelers are among those contributing to a recent surge in international tourism arrivals from countries in the Middle East and the GCC.
