Saudi Arabia received 53.6 million tourists in the first half of 2023, a 142% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data from the country’s Ministry of Tourism.
The total number of tourists, counting overnight visitors for all purposes, is comprised of 39 million domestic tourists and 14.6 million international ones. While visitors for all purposes increased in numbers, the highest growth was seen in leisure tourists, 347% more compared to the previous year figures.
Moreover, tourism spending reached SAR 150 billion (€ 36 billion), far exceeding previous estimates from the Saudi Central Bank of only SAR 40 billion (€10.13 billion) and standing at 132% compared to the same period in 2022. From the total, SAR 63.1 billion (€15.13 billion) came from domestic tourism and SAR 86.9 billion (€20.84 billion) from international visitors, marking a new record for the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia.
“This confirms the effectiveness of the…