Saudi Arabia Records 18 Million Tourist Visits in 2022, Targets 100 Million by 2030
Saudi Arabia has broken yet another record. This time, with its tourism sector. The Kingdom recorded 18 million visits in the first nine months of 2022, making it the Arab country with the highest number of tourist visits during that period. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) came in second place with almost 15 million visits, while Morocco recorded 11 million visits. Tourists also spent a whopping $7 billion in the first six months of 2022.
The recently released statistics are mainly due to Saudi Arabia’s extensive diversification efforts. In recent years, the Kingdom has invested heavily in projects to boost its position as a tourist attraction in the Middle East. For instance, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, recently launched a project worth 50 billion riyal to develop the Kingdom’s Aseer Region into a tourism hub. The Kingdom has also announced a $1 trillion investment that will be released into the tourism sector until 2030.
Saudi Arabia has also launched a comprehensive Vision 2030 plan for its tourism industry. As earlier stated, the Kingdom aims to achieve its milestone of 100 million tourist visits by 2030. Other goals include increasing the tourism sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s GDP to over 10% and providing one million job opportunities through the industry. The 2030 plan also details how Saudi Arabia will achieve these goals. This includes 500,000 new hotel rooms and the launch of Qiddiya, an $8 billion city dedicated to arts and entertainment. The 2030 plan also mentions launching six giga projects to improve tourism.
These plans will likely catapult Saudi Arabia to the league of the world’s most prominent tourism players. Moreso, the planned projects will likely expand the Kingdom’s tourist attractions and significantly increase tourist visits.
So far, Saudi Arabia has implemented numerous policies to attract more tourists. A case in point is the Kingdom’s e-Visa initiative. The e-Visa allows tourists to spend up to 90 days in the Kingdom and participate in activities such as family visits, Umrah, and general leisure. It is a multiple-entry visa and lasts for up to a year. This visa initiative reinforced the fact that Saudi Arabia was prepared to welcome tourists, and it paid off. There has been constant growth in the Kingdom’s tourist visits.
For instance, Saudi Arabia recorded 7 million visits in 2021. The Kingdom’s tourist visits increased by over 11 million in 2022. This impressive increase in tourism count shows the effectiveness of the policies implemented so far.
Conclusion
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated its commitment to diversifying its economy and optimizing its tourism sector. The Kingdom’s milestone of 18 million tourist visits is a major indicator that Saudi Arabia will likely emerge as a tourism powerhouse in the coming years.
Last Updated on 10 months by News Editor
