Saudi Arabia surpasses 100 million...

Number largely made up of domestic tourists

Saudi Arabia has clocked more than 100 million tourists, achieving the milestone seven years ahead of schedule.

The accomplishment was reached with the arrival of more than 27 million international tourists and 79 million domestic tourists. The numbers are the result of a proactive strategy initiated in 2019 to cultivate the country's tourism ecosystem.

The travel and tourism sector's increasing contribution to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil gross value added (GVA), which is the value generated by any unit engaged in the production of goods and services, is estimated to exceed 7% and bring in more than US$37 billion in inbound tourism spending, highlights the significant economic impact of these efforts.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) recognised Saudi Arabia's achievements at its annual Global Summit. Hosted in Saudi Arabia, this flagship event showed support for the destination.

Through strategic reforms, Saudi Arabia has established a foundation for a tourism infrastructure, enhancing its attractiveness as a global tourism destination. Key among these reforms is the restructuring of tourism licence fees, now tailored to meet the needs and operations of investors, ensuring a more supportive and flexible regulatory environment. As a result, there was a 390% rise in tourism activity licence applications in 2023.

Saudi has also reduced annual government fees for the sector by almost 22%, with a commitment to further reductions of up to 70%, aiming to position the kingdom at the forefront of global tourism investment.

For more information, visit www.wttc.org

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