Simplified visa procedures and diverse travel options in Saudi Arabia, have contributed positively to the country's tourism sector

According to Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al-Khatib, the kingdom's tourist industry has benefited from easier visa requirements, a variety of travel options, and locations, as well as efforts to promote the country abroad.

Al-Khateeb made the announcement to thank King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for mentioning the sector's encouraging developments at the weekly Cabinet meeting. The World Tourism Organization's (UNWTO) two indices, the volume of foreign visitors and tourism income for 2022, both showed favourable results for Saudi Arabia.

These accomplishments show the leadership of the Kingdom's commitment to strengthening its place on the world tourist map, as well as their care in developing the tourism industry and raising GDP in line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, he added.

Al-Khateeb reaffirmed that the Ministry of Tourism would keep working to fulfil the leaders' goals of making Saudi Arabia a popular travel destination by collaborating with all of its partners in the public and private sectors.

A UNWTO survey indicates that Saudi Arabia has significantly risen on the list of top destinations for foreign travellers in 2022. Compared to 2019, when it was ranked 25th, it rose 12 spots to take the 13th spot. In the last year, 16.6 million foreign visitors came to Saudi Arabia for various travel-related reasons.

The first quarter of 2023 saw Saudi Arabia continue to excel internationally in the tourism industry, as it welcomed 7.8 million foreign visitors for all types of travel, setting a record for the highest quarterly performance in history (up 64% from the same period in 2019).

According to the most recent WTO statistics, the Kingdom ranked second among the tourist destinations with the quickest rate of growth during that time. Prior to this, Saudi Arabia achieved a new milestone in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Travel and Tourism Development Index (TTDI). In comparison to 2019, it has improved significantly, moving up 10 spots all at once to take 33rd position internationally.