Tourist spending in Saudi Arabia reached approximately SAR150 billion ($40 billion) in the first half of 2024, reflecting a 10 percent increase in both traveler numbers and expenditure compared to the same period the previous year, as revealed by the Kingdom’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb.
Launching new tourist visa to attract more visitors
At a conference convened to review the 2024 summer tourism program, Al-Khateeb reiterated that Saudi Arabia will launch a tourist visa next month to attract more international visitors and bolster the sector’s growth. This aligns with the country’s ambitious target to host 150 million tourists annually by 2030, underscoring its commitment to transforming the Kingdom into a premier global tourism destination.
Surge in passenger air traffic and flights
The growth in the tourism sector was supported by a 17 percent surge in passenger air traffic, which reached 62 million in the first half of 2024 compared to 53 million in the same period last year. This was accompanied by a 12 percent increase in flights, with 446,000 recorded compared to 399,000 in the first half of 2023.
Impressive tourism figures and initiatives
Al-Khateeb shared that Saudi Arabia achieved 60 million visits and approximately SAR150 billion in tourist spending during the first half of 2024, reflecting a 10 percent rise in both visitor numbers and expenditure compared to the same period last year. He described the country as a “continent,” highlighting its vast natural beauty and varied landscapes, which uniquely position Saudi Arabia to offer a wide array of tourism products to global travelers.
Enhancing opportunities and training for Saudis
To enhance opportunities and training for Saudis, the ministry has raised salaries and conducted over 100,000 training courses annually. Additionally, the Tourism Development Fund, launched in June 2020, has already financed over 100 projects totaling SAR35 billion, encompassing a mix of small to medium-sized ventures and larger-scale initiatives, with a significant focus on enhancing hospitality offerings in the Asir region.
Improving transparency, providing valuable insights
Moreover, to support transparency and provide valuable insights for the media and investors, the ministry announced the launch of comprehensive tourism statistics on its website, including an annual report detailing every statistic and figure relevant to Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector.
Read more: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector contributing record $118.4 billion to GDP: Report
Record-breaking tourism numbers in 2023
According to the latest data, the total number of tourists reached 109.3 million in 2023, with 81.9 million being local tourists and 27.4 million international visitors. The economic impact was significant, with expenditure by international tourists totaling SAR141.2 billion and local tourists spending SAR114.4 billion, bringing the total tourism expenditure to SAR255.6 billion in 2023. The minister highlighted that the country achieved 153 percent growth in tourism compared to 2019, with Asir receiving 8 million tourists last year, who spent around $3 billion.
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