Kuwait’s Tourism: Kuwait as a Tourism Destination
As a holiday destination, the norther Gulf state does not make it into dinner conversation about hot-spots like Egypt and Jordan, or “Fly-Buy-Dubai.” Only at a second glance, does Kuwait offer a variety of urban life, Arab culture, desert tourism, and maritime sports.
Kuwait’s Tourism | Kuwait has more..As a holiday destination, the norther Gulf state does not make it into dinner conversation about hot-spots like Egypt and Jordan, or “Fly-Buy-Dubai.” Only at a second glance, does Kuwait offer a variety of urban life, Arab culture, desert tourism, and maritime sports.
“I am very optimistic about tourism in Kuwait … We are talking about $130billion that the government decided to be spent for the development of Kuwait for the coming thirty years”
Kuwait has a comparably liberal visa policy, at least for most passport holders from the European Union, the U. S., and of course its Gulf Arab neighbors. Airlines from 36 countries have the Kuwait International Airport on their schedule. Among them are well-known carriers like United Airlines from The U. S., Germany’s Lufthansa, British Airways, Emirates Airline or Turkish Airlines. State-owned Kuwait Airways and local budget flyer, Jazeera Airways, to fly to 39 and 18 destinations abroad, respectively.
Being connected with the world means benefitting from travel and tourism. But it also translates into higher commitments. Kuwait has early moved into the global hospitality industry and attracted some of the top brands like Sheraton, Marriott, and Mövenpick.
“I am very optimistic about tourism in Kuwait,” said Hassan Bayerli, General Manager of the Sahara Kuwait Resort in an exclusive interview with Marcopolis. “We are talking about $130 billion that the government decided to be spent for the development of Kuwait for the coming thirty years,” Bayerli explains. “This initiative is meant to affect all sectors, including the tourism industry, because tourism is usually influenced by the economy of the country.”
The Sahara Kuwait Resort is a stunning 18-hole golf course. Yes, playing golf on grass in desert-rich Kuwait is only one mosaic that forms the country’s complete image of a travel destination. Designed by Swiss-born Peter Harradine, who lives in Dubai, has made many Golfer’s dreams real in the Gulf Arab region. The PGA standards-abiding course course is 6730 yards long and features three lakes and nearly 5000 trees. It harbors chalets, a luxury Spa, and conference and banqueting facilities.
For those with a smaller travel budget, Kuwait offers more than sand dunes and oil rigs. The famous three Kuwait towers are a must visit for any traveler. The tallest, 187 meters high main tower harbors a restaurant and viewing sphere which conducts a full-turn every 30 minutes.
Worth visiting are the old Souq in downtown Kuwait City, the Kuwait National Museum, the Kuwait Museum of Islamic Art, and the 372 meter-high Liberation Tower, which symbolizes Kuwait’s liberation from Iraqi occupation on February 26 1991. During Saddam Hussein’s 7-month-long occupation, the tower’s then ongoing construction had to be halted, but the site took no damage despite the fighting between Iraq and the U. S.–led coalition forces.
The iconic capital will be one day be neighbored by the Silk City. The Madinat al-Hareer, as the 250 square kilometers large development is called in Arabic, will harbor the 1,001 meter tall Burj Al-Mubarak Al Kabeer, the Great Blessed Tower. The whole development’s cost is estimated at USD $94 billion.
Sports are also popular, albeit women shall respect the local Islamic traditions and exercise in dedicated places and facilities for ladies. Not to mention the endless options of doing water sports in the shallow Gulf waters. Yachting, jet skiing, and paddling are popular, and the diving community counts ever more aficionados—Jazeera Airways’ CEO Stefan Pichler being one of them.
The best time to discover Kuwait’s long and beautiful beaches, its huge desert—which is best to indulge with a safari tour—and its urban landmarks and museums, is between October and May, when temperatures stay at a reasonable and warm level.
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Kuwait’s peers in the GCC do far better. “I think that hotel service in Kuwait is very adequate at the moment,” said Sahara Kuwait Resort’s GM Bayerli with an audible regret in his voice. However, in 2012, occupancy for five-star hotels does not currently exceed 50%. This means that they are only working with half of their full capacity. If you take another country such as Emirates or Qatar, I am sure that it is over 80%.
Medical Tourism in Kuwait
Will the globally booming medical tourism fill the gap? Dr. Tareq Al Mukhaizeem, Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait’s Al Salam Hospital has his doubts. “I think medical tourism can serve Kuwait very minimally, because the other GCC countries also have very well-developed private and governmental sectors. The regulation should be changed in Kuwait giving more freedom to the private sector to develop itself.”
Mr. Yousif Abou Zahr, CEO of Al Seef Hospital agrees with Dr. Al Mukhaizeem, although Mr. Zahr is more optimistic: “The treatment abroad is driven by subspecialties that some of the hospitals in Kuwait are lacking,” he told Marcopolis. “But Kuwait has the potential to provide all the services at high quality, and to have people from the Gulf area and from even from the Middle East region to come to hospitals in Kuwait and get the treatment they want.”
Can the Al Seef Hospital provide foreigners state-of-the-art treatment? “The Al Seef Hospital has an agreement with a Belgian team to provide orthopedic surgery locally,” Mr. Zahr explains. “It has an agreement with other large groups to provide the service locally. Other hospitals are moving in that direction by having collaboration with international institutes to provide the service locally.”