Tourists Accommodation Planning for Dammam Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Tourists attraction in Dammam is increasing rapidly, and inviting tourists from many regions for various purposes. Consequently. this is increasing the load on the accommodation facilities However, the accommodation facilities are haphazardly distributed. For example, they are concentrated within the central districts of the metropolitan area, which are far away from the main tourists attraction area. This study aims to formulate a suitable distribution plan for tourists accommodation in Dammam Metropolitan Area. The planning proposals in the study were generated on the basis of the location of main attraction areas and the tourists' preferences. For the accomplishment of the study goal and objectives the study investigated the conditions of existing accommodation facilities. In addition, a socio-economic survey was conducted to identify tourists' preferences and characteristics The study generated three alternatives for the distribution of tourists' accommodation. They are as follow: First Alternative is based on the continuation of the existing trends to minimize the implementation cost in which the concentration of tourists' accommodation will remain within the central urban areas. The Second Alternative is based on the concept of multi- node accommodation centers along the transportation network, which will provide maximum mobility for tourists The Third Alternative focuses on reducing the movement of tourists between the accommodation facilities and the attraction area, by locating the accommodation facilities within the attraction areas. As a result a new Tourists City will be established within the main attraction area The alternatives were then evaluated and the the third alternative was found to be the best. Finally, the tourists: accommodation is distributed according to the tourists preference. The implementation recommends formation of a Higher Authority for Tourism Affairs in Al-Dammam Metropolitan Area. The authority will coordinate the city development and construction of the infrastructure. Also, the implementation policy proposes a consortium of private companies to coordinate the construction and management of the new accommodation facilities