World Tourism Organization hailed Saudi Arabias exceptional achievement in the tourism sector, hosting over 100 million tourists during 2023

With approximately 100 million domestic and foreign visitors in 2023, Saudi Arabia has achieved remarkable success in the tourism sector, as praised by the World Tourism Organisation (UN Tourism). This is an important turning point in Saudi Arabia's development into a major global tourism powerhouse and a tribute to its strategic vision and strong sector growth. This outstanding achievement, achieved seven years ahead of schedule, highlights Saudi Arabia's rise to prominence in the world tourism arena and its pivotal role in the economic diversification and sustainable growth of the industry globally, according to a statement from UN Tourism.

The Kingdom's thriving tourism industry is demonstrated by this milestone, which was reached with the arrival of over 27 million foreign visitors and over 79 million domestic visitors, who spent a total of over $67 billion. The statement also emphasised the Saudi Ministry of Tourism's dedication to cutting-edge data collection and statistical analysis, a priority shared by UN Tourism. It stated that the strategic efforts and reforms that have driven the Kingdom's tourist industry to unprecedented heights are the cornerstones of its success story.

Saudi Arabia and UN tourist have worked closely together because the UN recognises Saudi Arabia's efforts to build a strong tourist infrastructure and statistical analytic skills. A major step in the direction of promoting tourist innovation, education, and rural development was taken in 2021 with the opening of UN tourist's Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh. Through this relationship, Saudi Arabia has been positioned as a pioneer in statistical excellence and sustainable tourism practices. 

Saudi Arabia has strengthened its standing in the world of tourism by outperforming the rest of the G20 in terms of the growth rate of foreign visitors in 2023 as compared to 2019, according to UN Tourism. This acknowledgement highlights the Kingdom's crucial contribution to the post-pandemic resurgence of the world's tourist industry.