According to WTO, in the first quarter of this year, the Kingdom welcomed a remarkable 7.8 million tourists, while Dubai received 4.7 million visitors.
(Image Source)
GLOSaudi Arabia’s tourism industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge, surpassing Dubai in terms of visitor numbers.
According to WTO, in the first quarter of this year, the Kingdom welcomed a remarkable 7.8 million tourists, while Dubai received 4.7 million visitors.
Traditionally, Saudi Arabia has always had a slight edge over Dubai in terms of arrival figures, while Dubai has dominated in terms of spending. In 2019, Saudi Arabia saw 17.5 million visitors, slightly surpassing Dubai’s 16.8 million. One of the key factors contributing to Saudi Arabia’s advantage is its steady religious tourism market, which attracted 9.3 million people in that year.
Despite receiving around two million more visitors than Dubai, Saudi Arabia did not make it into the top 10 list of international traveler spend. In 2022, Dubai claimed the top spot, generating a staggering $29.42 billion in international traveler spend, almost double the amount of second-place Doha’s $16.79 billion. However, Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry has made significant progress. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO) index, the Kingdom climbed from the 25th position in 2019 to the 13th position globally in terms of international tourist arrivals in 2022.
The WTO reported that Saudi Arabia welcomed a total of 16.6 million international tourists in 2022, engaging in various travel purposes. The Kingdom also made substantial strides in the international tourism revenue index, rising 16 spots to secure the 11th position in 2022, a remarkable improvement from its previous ranking of 27th in 2019. These findings were revealed in the World Tourism Barometer report released by the WTO in May 2023.
In the first quarter of 2023, Saudi Arabia achieved its highest quarterly performance thus far, attracting approximately 7.8 million international tourists for various purposes. This represents a remarkable 64 percent increase compared to the same period in 2019. Moreover, during this period, the country emerged as the second-fastest growing tourism destination, according to the latest data from the WTO.
These achievements align with the goals of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to enhance the country’s global tourism standing and boost its contribution to the gross domestic product. Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb credited these accomplishments to the streamlining of travel visa procedures, targeted promotional campaigns in key countries, and the diverse range of tourism destinations within the Kingdom. The minister also emphasized the ministry’s commitment to collaborating with both public and private sector partners to transform Saudi Arabia into a prominent global tourism hub.
Significantly, Saudi Arabia achieved a milestone in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI) published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), securing the 33rd position globally. This marked a substantial improvement of ten ranks compared to 2019, further highlighting the country’s progress in the tourism sector.
