SINGAPORE, 4 March 2024: Saudi Arabia received applause from UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council for welcoming over 100 million tourists in 2023, but it drops to 27 million if you exclude domestic visits.
The two global association heavyweights noted that the accomplishment significantly surpassed the previous target set for 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as an emerging global tourism powerhouse.
Based on the latest data, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism announced it had achieved the milestone seven years ahead of the initial goal. The government has now raised the target to 150 million tourists by 2030.
When counting both domestic and international travellers, the country’s tourism sector has made significant qualitative leaps, reaching 106.2 million in 2023. This represents a remarkable increase of 56% compared to 2019 and a substantial 12% surge compared to 2022.
When the domestic travel data is excluded, the country’s international visitor count reached 27.4 million, showing a substantial 56% increase from 2019 and an impressive 65% rise compared to 2022.
Tourism has proven to be a significant contributor to the nation’s economy, with domestic and international tourists spending over 250 billion riyals in 2023. This expenditure represents over 4% of GDP and 7% of the non-oil GDP, reflecting tourism’s crucial role in diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy.
Serving as the country’s first Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb, commented: “This announcement demonstrates the scale of our transformation since the National Tourism Strategy was launched five years ago. We are committed to aligning with top-tier international experiences and practices. This approach contributes to shaping a prosperous future for our tourism industry, improving the quality of life, and bolstering the Kingdom’s position on the global tourism map”.
