Cleartrip, Taj Hotels to expand operations in West Asia after Saudi push

Indian travel and hotel brands including Cleartrip.com and Taj Hotels are expanding operations in West Asia as countries focus on tourism to reduce dependence on crude oil. The latest to woo foreign travellers is Saudi Arabia which announced an e visa-scheme last month.

“We see the easing of visa regulations being a significant growth driver for inbound traffic to Saudi Arabia. According to recent figures published by the Saudi Foreign Ministry over 24,000 tourists have visited Saudi Arabia in the first ten days after the introduction of tourist visas and we only see this figure increasing in time to come,”said Amit Taneja, chief business officer (international markets), Cleartrip.