The revenues of the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia rose to $40 billion during the first half of the current year, with a year-on-year increase of about 132%.
Official data from the Saudi Ministry of Tourism revealed that inbound tourism achieved historical figures in the first half of 2023, witnessing a significant growth of 142% in the number of tourists and 132% in the estimated tourist spending compared to the same period in 2022.
The total number of tourists (overnight visitors for all purposes) in the first half reached 53.6 million tourists, including 14.6 million inbound tourists and 39 million domestic tourists. The total tourist spending amounted to 150 billion Saudi riyals ($40 billion), with 86.9 billion riyals ($23.6 billion) from inbound tourism and 63.1 billion riyals ($16.8 billion) from domestic tourism during the same period.
Domestic tourism also saw a 16% increase in tourist spending in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, attributed to the rise in the average length of stay from 4.6 nights in the first half of 2022 to 6.3 nights in the first half of 2023.
Saudi Arabia achieved several notable achievements in the tourism sector, advancing 16 positions in the international tourism revenue index to reach the 11th position in 2022, compared to the 27th position in 2019 globally, according to the World Tourism Organization.
The Kingdom continued its international achievements in the tourism sector, welcoming around 7.8 million inbound tourists during the first quarter of 2023, marking the highest quarterly performance in history. This achievement represented a 64% growth compared to the same period in 2019, securing Saudi Arabia the second position globally in the growth rate of international tourist numbers, according to data released by the organization in May 2023