Saudi tourism grows 10% in Q1 2024: Minister

Saudi Arabia witnessed a 10% year-on-year (YoY) increase in the number of tourists and a 17% YoY increase in tourist spending in Q1 2024, Al Arabiya reported, citing Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb.

Al-Khateeb expected the number of tourists to increase to 110 million and spending to rise to SAR 150 million by 2030, aligning with the new tourism projects in the Red Sea, NEOM’s opening of Sindalah Island by year-end, and the Diriyah project.

The geopolitical risks in the region, and expectations that the US federal reserve may delay an interest rate cut, may weigh on the travel industry worldwide despite the UN Tourism forecasts that the industry will return to its pre-pandemic levels. The Kingdom is somehow far from the geopolitical fluctuations of the past months.

Saudi Arabia experienced 56% growth in tourist arrivals in 2023, surpassing the growth of the world's tourist population, with coverage of 88% of the market.

He pointed out that the percentage of visitors for the religious tourism fell from 90% previously to 50% over the past year. Other tourism activities included attending events and visiting different sites of the Kingdom. The majority of non-religious tourists were from China in first place, then Britain and Germany.

Tourism concentrated in major cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah, Al-Ula and the Red Sea through open projects.