saudi arabia tourism stats

Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Tourism industry in Saudi Arabia - statistics & facts

Saudi arabia’s tourism revolution, entertainment and media fueling the tourism boom, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Total inbound tourist expenditure Saudi Arabia 2015-2022

Total inbound tourist expenditure Saudi Arabia 2021, by province

Share of tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 1999-2023

Share of travel and tourism contribution to GDP in Saudi Arabia 2015-2032

Leading inbound travel markets from Middle East Saudi Arabia 2022

Further recommended statistics

Regional overview.

• Basic Statistic Inbound visitor growth in the Middle East 2011-2025
• Basic Statistic Outbound visitor growth in the Middle East 2011-2025
• Premium Statistic Targets of international tourist arrivals GCC 2023, by country
• Premium Statistic Expected revenue of hospitality industry in the GCC 2026, by country
• Premium Statistic Expected revenue of hospitality industry in the GCC 2021-2026, by country

Inbound visitor growth in the Middle East 2011-2025

Inbound visitor growth in the Middle East from 2011 to 2025

Outbound visitor growth in the Middle East 2011-2025

Outbound visitor growth in the Middle East from 2011 to 2025

Targets of international tourist arrivals GCC 2023, by country

Targets for international tourist arrivals in the Gulf Cooperation Council as of 2023, by country

Expected revenue of hospitality industry in the GCC 2026, by country

Forecasted share of the hospitality revenue in the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2026, by country

Expected revenue of hospitality industry in the GCC 2021-2026, by country

Forecasted revenue of the hospitality industry in the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2021 and 2026, by country (in billion U.S. dollars)

Economic indicators

• Premium Statistic Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia 2013-2028
• Premium Statistic Total inbound tourist expenditure Saudi Arabia 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism expenditures Saudi Arabia 2018-2022
• Premium Statistic Domestic tourist expenditure Saudi Arabia 2018-2022
• Premium Statistic Distribution of inbound tourist spending Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourist spending Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia 2013-2028

Share of the GDP of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia from 2013 to 2028

Total inbound tourist expenditure in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022 (in billion Saudi riyals)

Outbound tourism expenditures Saudi Arabia 2018-2022

Outbound tourism expenditures in Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2022 (in billion Saudi Riyals)

Domestic tourist expenditure Saudi Arabia 2018-2022

Domestic tourist expenditure in Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2022 (in billion Saudi riyals)

Distribution of inbound tourist spending Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit

Distribution of inbound tourist expenditure in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose of visit

Outbound tourist spending Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit

Expenditure of outbound tourists from Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose of visit (in billion Saudi riyals)

Types of tourism

• Premium Statistic Distribution of inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit
• Premium Statistic Total inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose
• Premium Statistic Number of leisure inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Total outbound tourist trips in 2022, by purpose and nationality
• Premium Statistic Number of outbound leisure tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by country
• Premium Statistic Total domestic tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose

Distribution of inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose of visit

Distribution of inbound tourist trips to Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose of visit

Total inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose

Total inbound tourist trips in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose (in millions)

Number of leisure inbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2015-2022

Number of leisure inbound tourist trips in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Total outbound tourist trips in 2022, by purpose and nationality

Number of Saudi and non-Saudi outbound tourist trips in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose (in 1,000s)

Number of outbound leisure tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by country

Number of outbound leisure tourist trips from Saudi Arabia in 2022, by destination country (in thousands)

Total domestic tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by purpose

Total domestic tourist trips in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by purpose (in millions)

Inbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2018-2022
• Premium Statistic Total number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by region of origin
• Premium Statistic Number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by country of origin
• Premium Statistic Leading cities in inbound tourist arrivals Saudi Arabia 2022, by city
• Premium Statistic Share of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation
• Premium Statistic Average length of stay of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2015-2022

Number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2018-2022

Number of inbound tourists to Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2022 (in millions)

Total number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by region of origin

Total number of inbound tourists in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by region of origin (in millions)

Number of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by country of origin

Number of inbound tourists to Saudi Arabia in 2022, by country of origin (in millions)

Leading cities in inbound tourist arrivals Saudi Arabia 2022, by city

Number of inbound tourist arrivals to leading destinations in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by city (in millions)

Share of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation

Share of inbound tourists in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by accommodation type

Average length of stay of inbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2015-2022

Average length of stay of inbound tourists in Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022 (in nights)

Outbound tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of outbound departures from Saudi Arabia 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Total outbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by region and nationality
• Premium Statistic Share of outbound Saudi tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by destination country
• Premium Statistic Share of outbound non-Saudi tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by destination
• Premium Statistic Share of Saudi outbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation type
• Premium Statistic Share of non-Saudi outbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation type

Number of outbound departures from Saudi Arabia 2015-2022

Number of outbound tourists from Saudi Arabia from 2015 to 2022 (in millions)

Total outbound tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by region and nationality

Total outbound tourist trips in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by region and nationality (in millions)

Share of outbound Saudi tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by destination country

Share of outbound trips of Saudi nationals in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by destination country

Share of outbound non-Saudi tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by destination

Share of outbound trips of non-Saudi residents in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by destination country

Share of Saudi outbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation type

Share of Saudi outbound tourists from Saudi Arabia in 2022, by accommodation type

Share of non-Saudi outbound tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation type

Share of non-Saudi outbound tourists from Saudi Arabia in 2022, by accommodation type

Domestic tourism

• Premium Statistic Number of domestic tourists Saudi Arabia 2018-2022
• Premium Statistic Leading cities in domestic tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by city
• Premium Statistic Number of domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 1999-2023
• Premium Statistic Share of domestic tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation

Number of domestic tourists Saudi Arabia 2018-2022

Number of domestic tourists in Saudi Arabia from 2018 to 2022 (in millions)

Leading cities in domestic tourist trips Saudi Arabia 2022, by city

Number of domestic tourist trips to leading destinations in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by city (in millions)

Number of domestic Hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia 1999-2023

Annual number of domestic Hajj pilgrims within Saudi Arabia from 1999 to 2023

Share of domestic tourists Saudi Arabia 2022, by accommodation

Share of domestic tourists in Saudi Arabia in 2022, by accommodation type

Further reports

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Saudi Arabia - Tourism & Culture in Facts, Figures and Statistics

Introduction, promoting tourism and culture, preserving cultural heritage, modern architectural marvels, rise of entertainment and festivals, eco-tourism and natural wonders, culinary adventures: a gastronomic journey, evolution of the hospitality sector, digital transformation in tourism, women in tourism, spiritual tourism: umrah, hajj and holy practices, cultural exchange programs, art, music and traditional crafts, sustainable practices and initiatives, saudi arabia: tourism & culture in facts, figures and statistics.

Infographics by GO-Globe Saudi Arabia

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked 13th globally, advancing by 12 places on the World Tourism Organization (WTO) index, as one of the top countries receiving international tourists in 2022, compared to the 25th place in 2019.
• More than 28 million tourists are expected to visit the Kingdom this year, in 2023.
• The Kingdom continued to make progress in its tourism sector, as it received about 7.8 million international tourists for all purposes during the first quarter of 2023, representing its highest quarterly performance, up 64% compared to the same period in 2019.
• The Kingdom accomplished a new achievement within the Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI), marking the 33rd position globally
• The number of international tourists who visited the Kingdom, for all travel purposes, hit 16.6 million in 2022.
• Revenue in the Travel & Tourism market in Saudi Arabia is projected to reach US$3,819m in 2023.
• Revenue in Saudi Arabia is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 3.87%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$4,446m by 2027.
• The largest Travel & Tourism market in Saudi Arabia is the Hotels market with a projected market volume of US$2,506m in 2023.
• In the Hotels market, the number of users in Saudi Arabia is expected to amount to 9.1 million people by 2027.
• User penetration in Saudi Arabia is 25.9% in 2023 and is expected to hit 27.4% by 2027.
• The average revenue per user (ARPU) in Saudi Arabia is expected to amount to US$398.70.
• In the Travel & Tourism market, 85% of total revenue in Saudi Arabia will be generated through online sales by 2027.
• Employment opportunities within the rapidly expanding Saudi tourism sector is increasing due to tourism, which now offers 880,000 jobs countrywide.
• NEOM is estimated to worth US$500 billion to complete. a business and tech canter, expected to contribute US$48 billion to the kingdom's gross domestic product and create 380,000 jobs.
• Qiddiya, The New Entertainment City, planned for completion in 2035, is going to stretch over an area of 334km.
• Qiddiya City is expected to create more than 57,000 jobs for the residents and expatriates by 2030.
• Qiddiya is expected to contribute up to SAR 17 billion of GDP to the economy.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: is saudi arabia safe for tourists in 2023, q2: what are some must-visit cultural festivals in saudi arabia, q3: are women travelers welcomed in saudi arabia, q4: how can i learn more about vision 2030 and its impact on tourism.

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UN Tourism Applauds Saudi Arabia's Historic Milestone of 100 Million Tourists

• All Regions
• 26 Feb 2024

In a testament to its strategic vision and robust sector growth, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has welcomed over 100 million tourists, marking a significant milestone in its journey to become a global tourism powerhouse.

In an exceptional achievement, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has welcomed over 100 million tourists , a milestone celebrated by the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism). This remarkable accomplishment achieved seven years ahead of its original schedule, not only underscores Saudi Arabia's emergence as a global tourism powerhouse but also highlights its leading role in the economic diversification and sustainable development of the tourism sector worldwide. This milestone, marked by the arrival of over 27 million international tourists and over 79 million domestic tourists with a combined total spend of over USD 67 billion, not only showcases the Kingdom's robust tourism sector but also underscores the Saudi Ministry of Tourism's commitment to advanced data gathering and statistical analysis, a priority echoed by UN Tourism.

The Kingdom's success story is built on a foundation of strategic initiatives and reforms that have propelled its tourism sector to new heights. With a staggering 390% increase in demand for tourism activity licenses in 2023 and the contribution of tourism to the non-oil GVA estimated to exceed 7%, Saudi Arabia's vision for the future is clear. With the tourism sector's direct contribution to the GDP estimated to exceed  4 %, the country has showcased its resilience, innovation, and commitment to excellence.

Strategic Partnerships and Global Leadership

UN Tourism has closely collaborated with Saudi Arabia, recognizing its efforts in developing a robust tourism infrastructure and statistical analysis capabilities. The inauguration of UN Tourism's Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh in 2021 marked a significant step towards fostering tourism innovation, education, and rural development. This partnership has been instrumental in positioning Saudi Arabia as a leader in sustainable tourism practices and statistical excellence.

Elevating its global position in the tourism sector, Saudi Arabia has distinguished itself by leading the G20 in international tourist growth rate in 2023 compared to 2019. This recognition underlines the Kingdom's pivotal role in the global tourism sector's recovery following the pandemic. Moreover, the Middle East has emerged as the sole region not only to rebound but also to outpace pre-pandemic tourism levels , with a 122 percent recovery in international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019. At the forefront of this remarkable growth, Saudi Arabia witnessed a staggering 156 percent recovery in international tourist arrivals compared to 2019, underscoring its central role in the region's tourism boom.

A Testament to Resilience and Innovation

The Kingdom's tourism sector has shown remarkable resilience, with inbound spending reaching over USD 37 billion in 2023 and a significant increase in hotel keys across the kingdom. These achievements are a testament to Saudi Arabia's commitment to creating a prosperous and sustainable tourism sector.

Empowering the Workforce

The employment opportunities created by the tourism sector are a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's success. As of 2023, with 925.5 thousand jobs in the tourism sector and significant investments in training, the Kingdom is on track to make tourism the second-largest employer by 2030. This focus on workforce development ensures that the benefits of tourism growth are shared widely and sustainably.

Gratitude and Future Vision

UN Tourism extends its congratulations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for this historic achievement. We commend the leadership, the Ministry of Tourism, and all partners for their unwavering support and dedication. As Saudi Arabia continues to drive towards its goal of 150 million tourists by 2030, UN Tourism looks forward to supporting its journey, celebrating its successes, and promoting a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive future for global tourism.

Saudi Arabia's achievement of welcoming over 100 million tourists in 2023 is a beacon of what is possible through collaboration, innovation, and a clear vision for the future. The Kingdom not only promises a diverse and rich tourism experience but delivers on that promise, paving the way for a brighter future for the global tourism industry.

Related links:

• Download the News Release on PDF
• International Tourism to Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2024

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International tourism, number of departures - Saudi Arabia

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Saudi Arabia aims for 70 million tourism visits this year

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Reporting by Yousef Saba Editing by Mark Heinrich

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Yousef covers Middle East energy out of Dubai, paying close attention to Gulf state oil giants, their roles in the ambitious region's transformational plans and the shift to green energy. He previously covered Gulf financial and economic news, with a focus on the fast-growing capital markets there. He joined Reuters in 2018 in Cairo, where he covered Egypt and Sudan, including its uprising. He previously had stints at a local paper in Cairo and in D.C. as an intern at Politico during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

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Saudi Arabia Tourism Statistics

Saudi arabia sa: international tourism: expenditures, view saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: expenditures from 2002 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Expenditures: % of Total Imports

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: expenditures: % of total imports from 2002 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Passenger Transport Items

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: expenditures: for passenger transport items from 2007 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Expenditures: for Travel Items

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: expenditures: for travel items from 2004 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Number of Arrivals

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: number of arrivals from 1995 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Number of Departures

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: number of departures from 2002 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Receipts

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: receipts from 2003 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Receipts: % of Total Exports

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: receipts: % of total exports from 2003 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Receipts: for Passenger Transport Items

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: receipts: for passenger transport items from 2007 to 2016 in the chart:.

Saudi Arabia SA: International Tourism: Receipts: for Travel Items

View saudi arabia's saudi arabia sa: international tourism: receipts: for travel items from 2004 to 2016 in the chart:.

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• Giga-projects

Affluent tourists around the globe on Saudi Arabia’s radar

• Focus on China, India and Europe
• $800bn investment over seven years
• Infrastructure to match 2030 goals

Saudi Arabia will invest more than $800 billion in its main giga-projects by the next decade as part of a tourism expansion strategy focused on affluent tourists in China, India and Europe. 

The kingdom’s tourism minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, speaking at the Qatar Investment Forum, said: “We’re building and investing in major destinations like Neom , Red Sea , Qiddiya and Diriyah , with an announced investment of more than $800 billion in the next seven years.”

Saudi Arabia is also expanding infrastructure, including a new Riyadh airport for its airline Riyadh Air, due to open in 2030, further easing visa access and increasing direct flights from the world’s major cities, Al-Khateeb said. 

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“We want to focus on countries where the GDP per capita is higher than others and that are within six hours flight in a strategic geographic location,” he said. 

“China is a target, Europe is a target, the emerging middle class in India is a target for all of us. We have plans to attract these target markets for various reasons, to visit family and friends, perform religious duties or enjoy sports and leisure activities.” 

As part of its Vision 2030 transformation plan to diversify away from reliance on oil revenue Saudi Arabia wants to increase tourism’s share of GDP from 4.5 percent at present to 10 percent by 2030. Last year there were 27 million international visitors, almost half coming for religious reasons . 

• PIF merges companies in sign of giga-project shake-up
• Why ‘over-tourism’ offers an opportunity for the GCC
• Third of Vision 2030 projects ‘completed’ government says

Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism, said Gulf countries were also stepping up efforts to attract tourists to Gulf-wide trips taking in different countries. 

Gulf Cooperation Council states – which also include Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE – agreed last year to introduce a unified GCC tourist visa as the region targets $188 billion from the industry by the end of the decade. 

“We are promoting Qatar and Saudi in one campaign,” Al Kharj said, noting that the forum was promoting the Saudi destination of AlUla , site of the pre-Islamic Nabataean civilisation. 

“People can have a double experience in one region. This is taking us to the benefits of collaboration. At the end of this year we might see the unified GCC visa.” 

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Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 Is Too Expensive For Tourists – And Everyone Knows It

Josh Corder , Skift

May 1st, 2024 at 9:31 AM EDT

Fancy a stay in the heart of Arabia? It'll cost you.

Josh Corder

Are Saudi Arabia’s new tourism offerings too pricey? That’s the sentiment on the ground at the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) in Riyadh this week.

Between now and the end of the decade, 320,000 new hotel rooms are expected to open in Saudi Arabia. According to Knight Frank, 82% of those new rooms are in the luxury and upscale segments. And 66% of Saudi’s current 149,400 rooms are also upscale and luxury.

Saudi eventually wants 70 million international tourists to come visit. But it was only in 2019 that it opened for tourism at all. Saudi had 27 million international visitors in 2023 – many of them came for religious travel rather than stays at newly-developed leisure hubs.

‘Ego Projects Are Going Away’

Radisson’s regional vice president of development, Elie Milky said on a panel at the summit that “ego projects” by private investors are becoming less prevalent.

“Emotional and ego investments are going away. We need to be in line with the tourism strategy but we need to help it in not only promoting five-star categories,” Milky said. “It’s too risky for some investors to go into a place with a five-star hotel. It might be a nice idea for a five-star hotel, but you might not see return on investment.”

Many developments are being funded by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Chaired by the crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, PIF owns and develops tourism sites such as Neom, Diriyah Gate and The Red Sea – three leisure destinations with a swell of luxury facilities.

“Giga-projects” are being built solely with five-star hotels. Some of them are planning to cap visitation as well, making it even tougher to accommodate 70 million visitors.

The Red Sea is one such example: The Maldives-like project along the Saudi coastline is planning to open 50 luxury hotels. The plan is to open 16 hotels by 2025, and another 34 before 2030.

To date, every hotel announced there has been a luxury name.

Despite costing billions, The Red Sea is going to chip in one-seventieth towards achieving international tourism goals. The site will limit visits upon completion to protect the environment.

‘Mid-Markets Democratize Travel’

With luxury projects not moving the needle much in achieving visitor goals, hotel developers are hammering for more economical brands.

At another session at the summit this week, Wyndham’s regional MD, Panos Loupasis said: “Saudi will become exclusive. That’s a problem. If you want to attract people, and have them come again and again, visit more cities, it can’t be so exclusive. Three-star hotels are enablers for travelers. They democratize travel.”

“The market is not well-educated in mid-scale brands. There seems to be a strong focus on luxury in Saudi,” added Leva Hotels CEO JS Anand, a Dubai-based operator serving mid-scale.

“Not everybody will pay $2,000 a night,” he added.

The CEO of a privately-held hotel developer and owner had similar thoughts. “Mid-market hotels are the core accommodation in any city. A lot of people in the segment are just looking for glitz and glamor rather than a real investment strategy,” said Tashyid Urban Development CEO Falih Motasim Hajaj.

Following the publication of this article, a spokesperson from Saudi Tourism Authority sent a statement to Skift acknowledging the importance of luxury accommodation but also the range of mid-market choices in the country.

“Luxury hotels and products are a key part of what we are developing in Saudi, and we know that for some of our target audiences, both domestically and internationally, having luxury destination hotels is essential to their experience,” the spokesperson said. “However, our strategy and ambition are much bigger than that, as set out in our national tourism strategy. It is not just about luxury, it’s about building a year-round offering that caters for visitors across all tiers.”

Luxury First, Mid-market Second

Accor is one of the biggest players in growing Saudi’s tourism and hospitality infrastructure. The French operator wants an additional 45 properties with more than 9,800 rooms by 2030 in Saudi.

In the major locations like the giga-projects, these will be luxury hotels, according to Accor’s Group Deputy CEO and Premium, Midscale & Economy Division CEO, Jean-Jacques Morin.

“Luxury is in the big leisure projects – Neom, Red Sea, Diriyah and so on,” he said. “We are by far the largest operator in the holy cities as well… While in second-tier cities we have a strategy for premium, midscale and economy.”

Are There Any Mid-market Hotels Opening Up in Giga-projects?

There are a few mid-market hotels, but they mostly act as lodging for incoming consultants, contractors and architects. The Red Sea has Turtle Bay hotel to put up staff in, while Trojena – one part of the Neom project – has a Hampton by Hilton up and running.

Even this hotel is commanding high rates as the only hotel for business people to use in the area.

“In terms of today, converting mid-scale hotels will drive super-normal profits,” said Hilton’s Managing Director, Development, Middle East & North Africa, Amir Lababedi. “As much as we can, we will convert existing buildings. Trojena has no hotels that any contractor can use. That’s why we brought the Hampton.”

He added that Hilton is looking at many of Saudi’s existing budget hotels as options for its new Spark brand.

Elsewhere in Neom, Oxagon has a Yotel on the way, again designed mostly for professionals.

How Many Annual Visits Saudi Projects Expect by 2030 :

• The Red Sea: 1 million
• Amaala: 500,000
• Trojena (a part of Neom): 700,000
• Sindalah (a part of Neom): 876,000
• Neom altogether: 5 million
• Diriyah: 50 million (including domestic day trips)

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Tags: diriyah , middle east report , neom , saudi news , Saudi Tourism , The Red Sea

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Interview: Saudi Arabia expects 5 mln Chinese tourists by 2030, says tourism official

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2024-05-06 16:53:15

by Martina Fuchs

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia aims to attract 5 million Chinese tourists by 2030, said Gloria Guevara, chief special advisor at the Saudi Ministry of Tourism.

"China is a very important country and source market for us. We would love to have 5 million Chinese, that is the target and for that we have multiple strategies as part of one plan that we're executing," Guevara told Xinhua at the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium.

The St. Gallen Symposium is a student-driven organization and platform for cross-generational dialogue and collaboration. This year's event, which ran from May 2 to 3 on the theme of "Confronting Scarcity," brought together more than 100 speakers, 500 student volunteers and 1,200 participants.

Part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is to receive 100 million domestic and international tourists by 2030, said Guevara, adding that "We accomplished that seven years earlier."

The Saudi Ministry of Tourism announced in February that the country had received 106.2 million domestic and international tourists in 2023, marking a 56 percent increase from 2019 and a 12 percent rise from 2022.

"The good news is the growth continues and now by 2030, we want that number to be 150 million," Guevara said.

Last August, the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) said it intended to attract 4 million Chinese visitors annually by 2030.

"The STA under CEO Fahd Hamidaddin has been in China multiple times, we have offices there. We have a Saudi week where we receive 85,000 Chinese to come and learn a little bit about Saudi," said Guevara.

"There are now signs in Mandarin at the airport in Riyadh. We're training tour guides, we're working with hotel groups like Jinjiang, Radisson, and many others to customize the experiences so that we can have offerings they expect," said Guevara.

"We're working in multiple areas to attract more Chinese so they can enjoy the culture and of course the hospitality and the gastronomy that they love," she said.

Tourism also promotes cultural understanding and plays a vital role in building cultural bridges with China, said Guevara.

"The partnership between Saudi (Arabia) and China is very, very important and very strong. For us, tourism allows us to build those bridges, to create empathy and allows us to learn from each other, learn from different cultures," she said.

"China is a strategic partner for Saudi Arabia, we have a lot of businesses and government officials coming to Saudi," Guevara said.

In December 2022, China agreed to list Saudi Arabia as a destination for group travel, and expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two sides. ■