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Jeddah: Revitalized Tourist Destination Offers Exceptional Summer Experience

The entertainment season is stronger than ever (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The entertainment season is stronger than ever (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Jeddah: Revitalized Tourist Destination Offers Exceptional Summer Experience

The entertainment season is stronger than ever (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The entertainment season is stronger than ever (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Jeddah Season 2024 kicked off in Saudi Arabia on Friday with the theme “Once again,” offering a variety of activities across multiple key entertainment zones.
The event provides residents and visitors of Jeddah, a coastal city, with a unique summer experience in a rejuvenated tourist destination rich in cultural and historical significance.
Jeddah Season 2024 showcases live arts and cultural performances, innovative recreational and sports activities, as well as interactive adventures and skill-based games.
Additionally, it features numerous dining, café, and shopping options, making it a vibrant hub for all.
Inaugurated under the patronage of Prince Saud bin Mishal, Deputy Emir of Makkah Region and Chairman of the National Calendar Committee for Jeddah Governorate, Jeddah Season 2024 debuted with a spectacular opening at the artsy Jeddah Promenade.
The season’s opening featured drone shows, fireworks, roaming performances, and drew thousands of local residents and international visitors.
The annual festival also features a diverse range of international, cultural, and marine entertainment events.
Among the attractions, “City Walk” stands out with its interactive experiences across 8 themed areas.
At Jeddah Season 2024, “Cairo Nights” presents Egyptian culture with famous products, top restaurants, and live shows. “China Town” offers a unique cultural experience with Chinese traditions, cuisine, and more.
“Art Land” provides diverse family activities with games and shops.
City Walk offers relaxing riverside seating, while nearby “Horror Village” features interactive mazes for thrill-seekers.
“Wonder Wall” offers a distinctive culinary journey with a variety of different dishes, alongside live entertainment and unique restaurant settings set around a charming fountain.
City Walk also features over 30 skill and arcade games, along with three Arabic theatrical performances.
Additionally, the Warner Bros. Discovery: Celebrate Every Story area, being held for the first time in Saudi Arabia, provides visitors and tourists with a variety of games and entertainment shows.
Upcoming days will unveil new entertainment zones with unique experiences, fun games, and activities suitable for all ages and interests, including a closed animal park and the historic Jeddah Al Balad area.

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No, Spain Isn't Banning Tourists. Here’s What to Know.

People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
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No, Spain Isn't Banning Tourists. Here’s What to Know.

People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)
People march during a mass demonstration against over tourism, which affects the local population with inaccessible housing, among other things, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Velasco Almendral, file)

Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, making the Southern European nation famous for its Mediterranean coastline, sweeping landscapes and historic cities among the most visited countries on earth.

The surge in visitors has stoked complaints at times from some Spaniards about “overtourism, ” with concerns about overcrowding, water use and particularly the availability and affordability of housing, The AP reported.

Spain's government has started listening to demands for more regulation, particularly around housing in Spain's big cities, where rising home and rental prices have become a key concern for voters. Earlier this month, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez introduced a 12-part plan to tackle the housing crisis, with measures aimed at bringing stricter regulations to short-term rentals that mainly cater to tourists.

But that doesn't mean Spain is putting the brakes on tourism, an industry that accounts for about 12% of its GDP.

Here's what you should know before planning a visit:

Is Spain restricting tourists? No, but some cities have started to regulate tourism rental properties.

Malaga, an Andalusian port city on the southern Mediterranean coast of Spain, will prohibit new rental properties in 43 neighborhoods of the city where those rentals exceed 8% of the residential stock. The policy went into effect earlier this month and will be tested for three years.

Meanwhile, Barcelona plans to close down all of its 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals in the coming years to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. The Mediterranean city known for its beaches, art and surrealist architecture announced last year that it would not renew any new tourism apartment licenses after they expire in 2028.

Can tourists still book hotels and other accommodation? Yes. Tourists can book hotel stays and short-term apartment-style rentals just about anywhere in Spain.

What's prompting Spain to take these measures? Spain is in the throes of a growing housing affordability problem. Skyrocketing rents are particularly acute in cities like Barcelona and Madrid, where incomes have failed to keep up, especially for young people. Housing prices are also steadily rising, especially in cities and coastal areas.

Short-term contracts mainly offered for tourists are seen as driving up rental costs for locals, too.

What else should visitors know before booking travel? Visitors renting a car in Spain or booking hotel stays will also have to file more paperwork thanks to a new law that requires hotel owners and car rental companies to send personal information to the government for national security reasons.

Passport details, home addresses and payment information used by travelers above 14 are among the details that will be collected.