Saudi Arabia Celebrates Surpassing 100 Million Tourists Goal In 2023

Under the auspices of Saudi Minister of Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Tourism Authority, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Saudi Arabia has marked a significant milestone in its tourism sector by welcoming 100 million tourists in 2023. This achievement not only fulfills one of the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 seven years ahead of schedule but also sets a new target of attracting 150 million tourists by 2030. The announcement was made during a celebratory event on the sidelines of the ITB Berlin 2024 exhibition, which took place from March 5 to 7.

The ITB Berlin 2024 exhibition served as a global platform for showcasing the rapid progress and development within the Kingdom's tourism sector. It attracted a distinguished assembly of ministers and industry leaders worldwide. In his address, Al-Khateeb highlighted the substantial progress made since opening the country to international visitors seven years ago, with a record of 27 million international and 79 million domestic tourists in 2023 alone.

"The tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues its journey towards becoming a leading global tourism destination. Our focus remains on attracting sustainable investments and increasing tourist numbers from across the globe," Al-Khateeb stated. He emphasized the sector's role in driving global tourism growth and outlined plans for future developments, including new tourist destinations and products.

Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), also praised Saudi Arabia's contribution to global tourism growth during his speech at the event. He highlighted the Kingdom's full recovery from the global pandemic, noting a 56% increase in international arrivals from 2019 to 2023, the highest among G20 countries. This surge included an impressive 65% growth in international visits in 2023 alone, with visitor spending exceeding 100 billion Saudi riyals.

The Saudi pavilion at ITB Berlin 2024 showcased over 55 partners from the Saudi tourism ecosystem. The pavilion highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to empower partners, attract tourists through advanced technologies, and showcase unique destinations, authentic culture, and hospitality. It also featured an array of tourism products available for booking and introduced various qualitative and international events hosted in Saudi Arabia throughout the year.

This achievement underscores Saudi Arabia's commitment to enhancing its tourism sector as part of its broader economic diversification efforts under Saudi Vision 2030. With its eyes set on welcoming 150 million tourists by 2030, the Kingdom continues to invest in infrastructure, cultural heritage sites, and innovative tourism offerings to achieve this ambitious goal.

With inputs from SPA