«الكشتة».. ثروة سياحية منسية!

In the years of middle and high school, the "school trip" was the talk of the entire neighborhood.. because it was the most anticipated annual event that students looked forward to with excitement before packing their bags and preparing their belongings to leave Riyadh for the Eastern Province.

We used to spend three days on that trip, sharing the preparations by dividing roles.. but what I would like to point out here is the accommodation, which was either in youth hostels or in classrooms of one of the schools.

We believed that those trips were just for leisure, but as we grew older, it became clear to us that they were practical trips for refining personality, enhancing independence and discipline, and building a deep and spontaneous relationship with the environment and society.

However.. over time, as life events accelerated during that era, these activities suddenly stopped or significantly decreased! Schools closed their doors on their students, with no group trips, no sports competitions like school leagues, and no community volunteer activities like traffic week, tree planting, scouting, or cultural activities outside the school walls.

In contrast, there were "kashat" trips organized by work colleagues or youth either to the desert or to the beach, which were done through individual, unorganized efforts.. and like their predecessors, kashat trips today have become almost nonexistent! But the paradox in our lived work reality is that the "passion for group travel" has not died! We often see initiatives organized by some colleagues to spend quick vacations together here and there, many of which are outside the Kingdom.

Since I mentioned outside the Kingdom, it raises my question about the insistence of some government entities on rewarding employees with training courses and workshops abroad! I see this as a unique opportunity that could be seized, especially if we could attract trainees from abroad! Employee motivation must be linked to local spending and contributing to the local output by supporting small and medium local establishments such as rural lodges, agricultural tourism farms, caravans, and transportation and guidance services, thus driving the development wheel in our new destinations.. so what is stopping a workshop from being held in AlUla or a training course in Asir, or a board meeting in one of the royal reserves!

What prompted me to recall those memories is the stimuli of what we are experiencing today from an unprecedented tourism renaissance, diverse and widespread in the regions of the Kingdom, which makes us urgently need to revive the culture of "organized group trips" not only at the school level but extending to government entities and private sector institutions with a modern vision and new capabilities that expand the targets of Vision 2030 and support the economies of host cities.

In addition to the economic impact, these trips play a vital role in enhancing the "Quality of Life" program and public health for both employees and students alike.. as stepping out of the office and school environment towards a refreshing outlet reduces burnout and academic pressures.

On the administrative side, joint trips contribute to building social capital within the workplace.. when leaders mingle with their employees at an informal communication table that melts away barriers and administrative formality.

Moreover, distributing participants in interactive or competitive activities creates shared memories and reveals the potentials and energies of individuals that traditional working hours do not show, which contributes to increasing job engagement and productivity upon return.

To turn this idea into a sustainable reality, government entities, companies, and universities must adopt "motivational tourism and group trips," summarized as the "Kashat" service as an organized institutional policy that can be achieved through strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Tourism to provide discounted travel packages for groups, and to rehabilitate and develop economic hospitality lodges and farms to attract tourist groups with an appealing competitive character, while including these activities as a standard criterion within the indicators of distinguished work and study environments.

Reviving group trips in work and school is an intelligent convergence between building the individual and developing the place, as it not only ensures that our wealth remains within our homeland but will also work to create a vibrant tourism community ready to host thousands of tourists and visitors.. for example, the 2034 World Cup qualifiers.

We know that the compass has indeed turned towards domestic tourism, but we need to introduce new incentives and involve specialized entities such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Ministry of Education, and the Chambers of Commerce.. for the future of the country's tourism is built with the spirit of teamwork.