Saudi Arabia had a record-breaking year for tourism, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.
The WTTC’s 2024 Economic Impact Research data recorded new records for its GDP contribution, sector jobs and visitor spend.
In 2023, the sector grew by more than 32% to contribute a record-breaking SAR444.3 billion to Saudi’s GDP, which represents 11.5% of the economy.
This exceeded the previous record by almost 30%.
Tourism jobs grew by 436,000 to reach more than 2.5 million, representing almost one in five jobs in the country.
Tourism jobs lost during the pandemic were fully recovered in 2022.
The EIR report found international visitor spending surged by almost 57% to reach SAR227.4 billion, breaking the previous record, while domestic visitor spending grew by 21.5%.
It says Saudi Arabia welcomed 100 million tourists in 2023.
Reaching that milestone seven years ahead of schedule, it is now targeting 150 million tourists by 2030.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said; “Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism sector’s extraordinary achievements last year mark a pivotal moment in its journey towards becoming a global tourism leader.”
WTTC is forecasting that the Middle Eastern tourism sector will continue to grow throughout 2024.
Tourism jobs are forecast to reach 8.3 million across the region.
