What's Next for Saudi Tourism? Expanding Source Markets and Boosting Visitor Spend

In a year marked by regional instability and war, Saudi Arabia's inbound arrivals have continued to grow.

"Saudi Arabia has been registering double-digit growth in inbound arrivals, year on year, and we are welcoming tourists by the day," said Sultan Al Musallam, Saudi’s deputy minister of tourism for international affairs, who was speaking with Skift at the WTTC Global Summit in Perth.

“As the numbers reflect, we're growing from an inbound perspective,” Al Musallam said when asked about whether regional tensions have affected tourism arrivals.

Saudi Arabia's tourism sector has experienced significant growth since launching its e-visa program, positioning the country as an emerging destination, he said.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization recently ranked Saudi Arabia as having the largest rise in international tourism numbers among G20 countries in the first seven months of 2024.

Saudi Arabia registered a 73% increase in the number of foreign tourists from the same period in 2019.

Musallam said, "We're now embarking on the next