Saturday, March 30, 2024
In 2023, Saudi Arabia‘s visitor spending soared to $36 billion USD (SR135 billion), marking a record high and showcasing the Kingdom’s booming tourism sector.
In 2023, Saudi Arabia witnessed an unprecedented surge in spending by visitors from abroad, totaling $36 billion USD (SR135 billion), as reported by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). This figure, the highest in the nation’s history, marked a significant increase of 42.8 percent over the previous year’s SR94.5 billion, as detailed in the initial balance of payments data from SAMA. This spike in visitor spending underscores a string of achievements for the Kingdom’s flourishing tourism industry.
Remarkably, Saudi Arabia led the way in the United Nations Tourism rankings for the growth in international tourist arrivals in 2023, compared to 2019, among countries renowned for their tourism sectors. The Kingdom saw a 56 percent boost in the number of tourists arriving in 2023 over 2019, as highlighted in the World Tourism Barometer report by the United Nations Tourism Organization in January.
Furthermore, the report underscored Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector’s impressive recovery, with a 156 percent rebound in tourist numbers in 2023 relative to 2019.
These significant strides have established Saudi Arabia as a pivotal force in the Middle East’s tourism sector recovery on a global scale. The region is unique in having surpassed its tourism growth levels pre-COVID-19, with a 122 percent recovery in international tourist arrivals in 2023 versus 2019.
The UN’s tourism report noted a substantial rise in both inbound and domestic tourism within the Kingdom in 2023, solidifying its status as a premier global tourism destination. This surge in tourist numbers underscores the growing confidence among travelers in the Kingdom’s diverse and appealing tourism offerings.
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism celebrated a landmark achievement, reaching 100 million tourists by the end of 2023, surpassing the target set by Saudi Vision 2030 seven years early. With over 106 million domestic and international visitors, there was a 56 percent increase from 2019 and a 12 percent increase from the previous year.
This milestone has attracted global acclaim, earning praise from UN Tourism and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) for Saudi Arabia’s swift progress in enhancing its tourism sector. The Kingdom has also been lauded by international UN entities for the government’s dedicated efforts to maximize the potential of this crucial industry.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
