SWOT used to analyze Kuwait tourism

KUWAIT: “Developing tourism in Kuwait is not an impossible task but it requires confrontation of impediments to increase strengths and get rid of fears and threats in order to move stagnant waters as well as increase opportunities and positive points,” stressed the General Manager of Leaders Group Company For Consultancy and Development Nabila Al-Anjari, pointing out that doing so requires using SWOT analysis in order to make the right decision and carry out the five-year plan to improve tourism that was mentioned in the previous monthly report focusing on 6 main hindering elements: 1- Limited government support. The report stressed that tourism lacks government support in Kuwait and that some sort of declared government commitment had to be made in order to make tourism an alternative source of national income.

2- Not institutionalizing tourism through forming an independent ‘Supreme Tourism Authority’ or organization to care for touristic issues and make the needed decisions without having to go through tedious routine that has been hindering touristic development.

3- The bad condition of tourism facilities and services that have remained undeveloped since they were established in the 1970s and 1980s.

4- Scarcity of lands to be used for building touristic facilities and the high prices of available land, which poses pressure on any feasibility study. 5- Lack of specialized legislation. 6- Lack of coordination amongst government bodies.

The report also suggested some steps to encourage tourism, such as:

1- Visa on arrival at the airport, which is already available for 34 nationalities, with hope to increase them. 2- Building a new airport. 3- Licensing private aviation companies. The SWOT analysis showed the opportunities of making Kuwait a touristic dentition as follows: 1- Kuwait has unique desert environment that can be utilized by building touristic and medical treatment resorts and camps a well as organizing desert and beach sport competitions. 2- Having 7 months of good weather from October through May. 3- Availability of finance and human resources needed to activate tourism at competent levels. 4- Semi-ready infrastructure that facilitates receiving tourists. 5- Historic and cultural attractions such as museums and many cultural centers. 6- Strategic location as a gateway to the Middle East and a transit point for many destinations.

The analysis defined the threats as: 1- Delay in decision making that resulted in impeding scores of touristic projects that had already been studied and remain unexecuted. 2- Interference of bodies that do not appreciate tourism and have conflicting interests. 3- Severe competition with surrounding touristic destinations. 4-Deliberate ignorance of public touristic facilities.