The Drying Up of Yemeni Tourism Lost Revenue Put at $28 m for First Half of 1998 [Archives:1998/28/Front Page]

The numbers tell a sad story – the story of the death of a hope. Tourism had held a tremendous hope for Yemen. It is over, for now, at least. The kidnappings, the senseless violence, and the statelessness have done it.
During the first six months of 1998, the number of tourists who visited Yemen was less than 24,000 persons. This is 22% less than the numbers of last year, which was decidedly a bad year.
Total revenue loss for the first half of 1998 is put at US$ 28 million. Yemen Airlines, in spite of its best efforts, has been bleeding. It lost more than US$ 2 million on the disruption of its Rome sector. It is now getting more cancellations from all over Europe.

The major hotels in Sanaa – Taj Sheba Hotel and Sheraton Sanaa – now show an average of 50% occupancy rates. The rate for the first half of 1997 was 65%.
Tour operators, airline agents, handicrafts shops, and other tourism-related businesses tell the same story. That tourism is hurting.
Yemen has the makings of a major tourist destination.
It has clean smooth sandy beaches extending over 2,700 kilometers. Its coastlines are excellent for scuba diving, snorkeling, and simply great swimming and fishing.
It has majestic mountains for hiking, and lush valleys for picnics and good times.
It has plenty of desert land for adventure-lovers.
It has souqs which tell tales of the Arabian Nights.
It has ancient sites that speak of events of centuries ago.
It has a culture embodying a rich folklore, beautiful architecture, and a friendly population.
It has islands untouched by man or unspoiled by time.
In short, Yemen has all the attractions of great tourism. Yet, tourism in Yemen today tells a sad story.
The hotel rooms are empty. The airplane seats are empty. And all the tourism-related industry and services are suffering. A great potential and hope for the Yemeni economy is withering away.
The reasons behind such damage is the lack of security. Tourists will put up with virtually many things, except jeopardizing their safety.
In Yemen, tourists are the target of kidnapping. True, they are generally not hurt. In fact, they are treated well. But the international media reporting the events have damaged the image of the country. Yemen is now seen as a country not safe for foreign travellers. Hence the many cancellations.
The recent riots, violent demonstrations and other forms of restlessness have also added to the problem. The events were also widely reported in the international media. This added to the already bad image of Yemen as a place which is not safe.
Finally, many tourists and tour operators have been complaining about the statelessness. This means that respect for the law is minimal, and that people generally do what they please, and they often get away with it.
The situation can be fixed. In fact, what it takes to redeem Yemen’s image is a little bit more coordination and planning. It takes more efficient government officials who are interested in what they are doing. It also takes officials who stand on a higher moral ground than the kidnappers. At the moment, that is not true.
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