KUN0042 4 GEN 0553 KUWAIT /KUNA-MSN4 ECO-KUWAIT-TOURISM-ALSAAD Kuwait has important tourism components -- tourism expert (With photos) KUWAIT, Jan 22 (KUNA) -- Kuwait has several factors contributing to making the state an important destination for foreign tourists, provided some obstacles are surmounted, a tourism expert said. The president and Chief Executive Office of Master Aviation Travel Tourism Company Jassem Al-Saad, who was speaking to KUNA, said any country needed some important components enabling it to attract foreign tourists including "geographical, environmental and service" ones. He added that Kuwaiti shores were less salty than other Arab Gulf ones because of the state's geographical location. He stressed that the movement of tides around Kuwait were weaker than in other GCC states, which were closer to the Indian Ocean. Moreover, the Kuwaiti facade facing the sea is sufficiently large and deep to allow the construction of coastal public leisure areas in a state where the humidity rate is relatively low in most months of the year. Kuwait also enjoys several islands that could be turned into valuable tourist resorts in addition to the state's desert type climate, which is rare throughout the world, Al-Saad said He added that Kuwait was one of the first GCC states to try to attract foreign tourists through the setting up of tourist complexes and among the first states in the Middle East to set up public entertainment areas. However, this endeavor suffered a setback because of the Iraqi invasion to Kuwait prompting Kuwaiti leaders to focus on the security issue first ahead of others. Al-Saad stated that foreign tourists sought security first ahead of other considerations when choosing their next travel destinations. They (tourists) also look for such factors as good communication networks in their tourism destination. And the Kuwaiti networks were really up to the level required and more. As for the tariffs exacted by tourist resorts in Kuwait, they represent good value compared to other destinations in the area. "If we look at all these requirements for modern-day tourism, we find that they are available here," Al-Saad said. He added that, in Kuwait as well, it was possible to invest in sports events by hosting them here and having them broadcast throughout the world. Al-Saad pointed out that one of the important obstacles to tourism here was the high cost of hotel accommodation and the shortage of tourism literature and freely available guide books. He called for overcoming such obstacles by tourism and travel companies in cooperation with the state and urged travel companies to launch offers that could be grabbed by foreign tourists. "Kuwait tourism can be marketed in several ways, including cultural and entertainment ones," he said. He also called for inviting foreign travel companies for tourism programs aimed at enlightening them on what was available here. He added that Master had conducted a tourism-related training session that prepared foreign travel agents for tours in Kuwait. He said that up to 200 to 220 travel agents were operating in Kuwait with more than 30 airlines offering flights here. He said that between three and four million passengers fly off Kuwait International Airport per year.(end) amf.eh KUNA 221526 Jan 07NNNN