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REPORT – STTIM 2012 – RIYADH:Within the ongoing events of STTIM-2012, which is held by SCTA at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in Riyadh, a workshop was held under the theme Agro-tourism – factors for success, in which participants demanded formation of an united umbrella, which will bring together farmers to nter agricultural tourism. Participants urged SCTA to form an association for agricultural tourism to provide support for marketing and training to agricultural tourism projects.
The workshop was chaired by Dr. Jasir Al Harbash, executive director of SCTA Branch, Al Qaseem Province, in which as key speaker Christopher Htriggins, an expert from Kohl and Partner Company took part, along with Eng. Abdullah Al Aween director general of Agricultural Development Fund and Hamad Al Sheikh assistant vice-president of SCTA for Marketing and Director of Agricultural Tourism Program in SCTA as interlocutors.
The workshop discussed a number of themes, the most important of which were factors of success of agricultural tourism internationally, regulative framework for agricultural tourism associations, vision of public and private sectors, issues of funding and marketing agricultural tourism, among others.
The workshop was commenced by Dr. Hamad Al Sheikh, who defined agricultural tourism as the activity, trough which tourists visit farms and enjoy a number of activities and services provided in those farms.
Al Sheikh referred to the importance of agricultural tourism in the development of tourism activity across rural agricultural areas, and its contribution to enriching domestic tourism experience, providing various elements of entertainment and education to tourists, in addition to providing addition income for farmers and jobs for locals in agricultural areas, besides limiting immigration from rural areas to big cities.
Mr. Christopher Htriggins, highlighted the experience of his company which owns 12 offices across Europe, and international team, in the field of development of agricultural tourism. He said, “The Company began form a scratch in 1991, then it has started improvement of its services until its revenues reached 170% in 2010 in one year.
Mr. Htriggins further stated that, the success of the agricultural tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requires a number of elements, the most important of which is restructuring and organization as well as creating a system of database to organize tourism and marketing.
Htriggins suggests establishment of website for discussion between agricultural tourism relevant parties as well as providing new online system for reservation of agro-tourism facilities.
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