The kingdom is investing heavily into the religious tourism industry, added the report by Alpen Capital on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) hospitality industry.

In line with this, the Mövenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar Tower Makkah who has witnessed significant growth in the one year of operation, said its general manager.

“Saudi Arabia has chalked out a development plan involving investment of almost Dh98 billion ($26.68 billion) to transform Makkah into a city with world-class infrastructure,” said Omar Boujlid.

“With the large-scale tourism development underway, the Mövenpick Hotel & Residence Hajar Tower Makkah is well-equipped to cater to the growing number of pilgrims to the city. This year, we also plan is to implement marketing initiatives to further increase awareness in untapped markets in the African continent across Tunisia and Algeria.”

The 41-storey 1,200 room hotel is showcasing its offerings at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2011, which opened May 2 in Dubai, and will conclude on today.