RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector continues to show an impressive growth, proceeding 15 positions in global tourism receipts, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, Saudi Arabia stood 12th in 2023, showing a significant improvement from its 2019 ranking.
Saudi Arabia has led G20 nations in growth on the UN Tourism Barometer, attaining a 73 percent increase in global tourist arrivals and a 207 percent increase in international tourism receipts based on the latest data from the first seven months of 2024 as compared to the same period in 2019.
These gains show Saudi Arabia’s success as a top tourism destination. The steady increase in international tourist arrivals further highlights the trust of visitors in Saudi Arabia. Globally, international tourist arrivals reached 96 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first seven months of 2024, totalling an estimated 790 million tourists an 11 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
The Middle East maintained the lead as the strongest-growing region, with international arrivals increasing 26 percent over 2019 levels.
