RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia tops the list of G20 countries in the indicators of the growth rate of the number of international tourists and the growth rate of international tourism revenues according to the latest data for the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2019.
The Kingdom achieved an increase of 73% in the number of international tourist growth, while international tourism revenues recorded an increase of 207%, according to the latest UN Tourism Barometer report issued this week at the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Belem, Brazil.
Several tourist destinations in the Kingdom witnessed a significant increase in the number of international tourists this year, with 17.5 million tourists during the first seven months of 2024.
The Kingdom achieved a growth of 56% in the number of international tourists during 2023 compared to 2019, with 27.4 million tourists, and travel receipts recorded a historical surplus of 48 billion SAR during 2023, an annual increase of 38%.
In its September report after the conclusion of the “Article IV Consultation 2024”, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) praised the unprecedented achievements made by the Kingdom’s tourism sector under Saudi Vision 2030. Diversifying the economic sectors, in which travel and tourism emerged as the most important – recording the highest level in the number of visitors, spending, job creation and contribution to GDP.
These achievements reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a leading global destination, and the continuous growth in the number of inbound tourists reflects in the Kingdom’s attractive options and diversity for visitors.
