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Tourist arrivals in Saudi in 7M 2024 were 73% higher than in 7M 2019, according to excerpts from the most recent UN World Tourism Barometer report (pdf). Saudi’s tourism receipts also grew by 207% in 1Q 2024 compared to 1Q 2019.
2023 recap: The Kingdom welcomed 27.4 mn foreign tourists in 2023, up 64.8% y-o-y, with inbound tourists spending some SAR 141.2 bn during the year.
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REMEMBER- We have big tourism ambitions: The Tourism Ministry doubled its 2030 tourism target to 150 mn tourist trips earlier this year, after hitting the 100 mn milestone ahead of schedule, with the new target including 80 mn domestic and 70 mn international travelers. The government is also investing some USD 800 bn into the tourism sector under plans to build new future destinations, at Neom, the Red Sea, Diriyah, and Qiddiya, among others. Furthermore, May saw the tourism ministry kick off the Tourism Investment Enablers Program, which looks to streamline licensing for local and foreign investors in Saudi tourism, with a particular emphasis on the hospitality sector.
The rest of the region also fared well: The Middle East led global recovery and retained its positions as the world’s “strongest-growing region,” with arrivals up 26% from pre-pandemic levels in 7M 2024. Qatar had the highest regional growth rate in tourist arrivals during the 7-month period, with a 147% increase over 7M 2019, while Bahrain saw tourist arrivals growing 45% during the comparative periods. The Middle East’s international tourism receipts were 45% above pre-pandemic levels by 2023, surpassing Europe (+6%), Americas (-1%), Africa (-6%), and Asia-Pacific (-22%).
Driving regional growth: Less stringent visa restrictions, investments in tourism megaprojects, expanded air capacity, marketing drives, event hosting, and product diversification contributed to the uptick in the Middle East’s tourist arrivals.
Looking ahead: The outlook for September through December of this year remains positive, with a score of 120 points on the UN Tourism Confidence Index — measured on a 0-200 scale, with 100 indicating stable performance — slightly below May-August’s 130. Some 47% of experts surveyed expect better performance for the remainder of the year, 41% expect similar results, and 11% see a decline, signaling gradual normalization after a strong 2023.
Challenges for global tourism include inflation, particularly high transport and accommodation costs, as well as economic and geopolitical shocks, staff shortages, and extreme weather events.
