Tourism spending in Saudi Arabia reached SAR141 billion ($37.57 billion) in 2023, stated the Saudi Ministry of Tourism in its latest report.
According to the ministry’s 2023 annual tourism statistics report, tourists spent the most, SAR45 billion, on accommodation in 2023. Second came shopping with a spending of over SAR25.5 billion. In third place came transportation and travel at over SAR21.5 billion.
Spending on food and beverages reached SAR19.4 billion, other expenses reached over SAR25.5 billion, and spending on entertainment reached SAR4 billion, the ministry stated.
In 2023, the total number of inbound tourists reached 27.4 million, setting a new record high for Saudi Arabia. Inbound tourism last year saw a 65 percent annual increase with spending rising by 44 percent annually.
Notably, Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector saw 8.6 million tourists from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. GCC tourists injected over SAR15 billion ($4 billion) into the economy last year. The report also reveals that Bahrain was Saudi Arabia’s top source market, with 3.4 million tourists, followed by Egypt and Pakistan with 2.6 and 2.5 million, respectively.
Read | Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector contributing record $118.4 billion to GDP: Report
During the first half of 2024, tourism spending in Saudi Arabia reached around SAR150 billion ($40 billion), a 10 percent annual increase in both traveler numbers and expenditure, the Kingdom’s Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb recently revealed. A 17 percent surge in passenger air traffic to 62 million also supported this growth.
As Saudi Arabia prepares to launch a new tourist visa, it will likely see another surge in international visitors, further bolstering its tourism sector. This aligns with the country’s ambitious target to host 150 million tourists annually by 2030.
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