Swine Flu Fears Hit Saudi Religious Tourism

Mecca, the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed and city to which many Muslims make a pilgrimage as a tenet of Islam, is gripped with fear about the swine flu. Hotel occupancy rates have fallen 33 to 55 percent compared to last year. And the prime period of Hajj, when the majority of pilgrims convene in Mecca, is still two months away. While Saudi Arabia generally doesn’t attract as many tourists as Dubai and Bahrain, the kingdom has encouraged new developments in hotels, shopping malls, and time-share apartments in its holy cities to provide an offset to its oil-driven economy. Interestingly, pilgrims from other Persian Gulf states have declined, likely due to the limits governments in the region have tried to place on pilgrimage. Even with dwindling numbers, the pilgrimage to Mecca provides a unique health risk: thousands come from the far corners of the globe. Many are too poor to find accommodation, sleeping outside and eating at local food stalls. Though Saudi Arabia has taken precautionary measures, ordering millions of vaccine doses and providing masks to pilgrims and workers, the risks remain. – YaleGlobal