Tourism Strategy in Kuwait

Another plan

The government, however, does not follow a wait-and-see attitude. In 2004 Kuwait embarked on a twenty year master tourism plan with the number one priority being to develop and improve domestic tourism. For those who want to explore a country that is surprisingly interesting, Kuwait offers all amenities, for families in particular.

Business and pleasure go hand-in-hand in Kuwait. Salesmen and –women always find some time when travelling abroad for a match on the Golf course. “Kuwait produces oil, so most of the oil companies’ top executives from abroad have been coming to Kuwait since the 1940s.  These executives brought with them many sports, such as soccer, cricket, and of course golf”, says Hasan Bayerli , General Manager of Sahara Resorts, prime construction company which specialized on Golf resorts.

Its flagship is the Sahara Resort Kuwait. Open since 2005 and designed by world class architect Peter Harradine, Sahara Resort Kuwait is the only premier golf resort with comprehensive appeal which is owned by two public Kuwaiti real estate companies and two individual owners.

Bayerli is proud of having implemented green standards in his company, Sahara Resorts. “During July and August the temperature can be up to 50 degrees centigrade in the shadows and this has an effect on the grass.  Our sprinkler systems cool down the grass and help retain its quality.  The water tank we use to do this utilizes recycled water and that makes us environmentally friendly. This is important for a golf course.  Our 100 golf carts are also green because we use recycled materials.  We are proud of our efforts to be environmentally friendly.”

Summer in the city

There is little that reminds visitors of the seven-month Iraqi occupation twenty years ago. Only near the American embassy is a destroyed Iraqi tank with the insignia “We will never forget you”—a visible proof of the strong relations between “Uncle Sam” and the ruling family Al-Sabah. Orange signs pointing to the next air raid shelter, however, remind everyone that the country has been invaded once and that it is part of a not so stable region.

Connected to the world

Kuwait International Airport is well connected with the world. With 48 airlines flying to Kuwait, the country is a major Middle Eastern destination. Kuwait Airways flies to popular destinations such as Geneva, Frankfurt, London and New York. Among the top carriers are nearly all Middle Eastern airlines as well Air France, British Airways, United Airlines, Germany’s Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines.

By car, the city of Kuwait can be reached from the airport within 20 minutes. Those who stay in other gulf countries, in Dubai, for exmple, reach Kuwait by a number of budget carriers such as Jazeera Airways (Kuwait), FlyDubai, Air Arabia from Sharjah in the UAE or Saudi Arabia’s NasAir. “We are not biased towards the west or the east and we welcome all nationalities. I think visitors will find that the people of Kuwait are friendly. It is is easy to adjust to living here and anyone can easily make Kuwait their second home,” stresses Sami Al-Rushaid , Chairman and Managing Director at Kuwait Oil Company KOC.

Travel fans of the orient, and Kuwait aficionados, however, choose the right time for their plans to visit the country. Summers in Kuwait are awesome, with temperatures reaching easily over 50 degrees. This is the time when many Kuwaitis travel abroad to cooler places such as France, England, Canada, or Australia. The best time to visit Kuwait is between October and June, as from July to September the desert country turns into the “sun’s fur.”

Ahmad Al-Haroun: “Kuwait has a very rich cultural tradition and heritage. Furthermore, it is a very hospitable country. Anybody who visits Kuwait and stays in it, even for a couple of days, will be submerged in its hospitality and will feel a great deal of its social attraction.” When tourists sit together with Kuwaiti nationals at sun-set on Kuwait’s seaside esplanade—the “Corniche”—playing dominos and smoking water-pipe together, it often feels like time is standing still.