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Saudi Arabia's achievement of welcoming more than 100 million tourists receives global recognition from UN Tourism and WTTC

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia has received international recognition and applause from UN Tourism and the World Travel and Tourism Council for its remarkable achievement of welcoming more than 100 million tourists in 2023. This achievement significantly exceeded the previous target set for 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as an emerging global tourism power.

The Ministry of Tourism announced that, according to the latest data, the Kingdom has reached this milestone seven years ahead of the initial goal. Motivated by this success, the Kingdom has set the ambitious new goal of welcoming 150 million tourists by 2030.

Tourism has proven to be a major contributor to the country's economy: domestic and international tourists will spend more than 250 billion rials in 2023. This spending represents more than 4% of GDP and 7% of non-oil GDP, reflecting the crucial role of tourism in diversifying Saudi Arabia's economy.

HE Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb commented: "This announcement demonstrates the scale of our transformation since the National Tourism Strategy was launched five years ago. Tourism is a key pillar in the nation's economic transformation under Vision 2030, creating jobs and revenue for the Kingdom. We thank both UN Tourism and WTTC as valued partners in our journey for their shared commitment to a sustainable and prosperous tourism sector."

"The tourism ecosystem continues to operate in line with the national tourism strategy by developing various tourism destinations. We aim to enrich tourists' experiences, diversify options for local and international visitors and improve hospitality facilities along with other services provided. We are committed to aligning ourselves with world-class international experiences and practices. This approach contributes to shaping a prosperous future for our tourism industry, improving the quality of life and strengthening the Kingdom's position on the global tourism map," the minister said.

The tourism sector in the Kingdom has experienced significant qualitative leaps: the total number of tourists, both domestic and international, reached 106.2 million in 2023. This represents a notable increase of 56% compared to 2019 and a substantial increase of 12%. % compared to 2022. Among them, the number of international tourists reached 27.4 million, which is a substantial increase of 56% compared to 2019 and an impressive increase of 65% compared to 2022.

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