Tag Archives: 27million

According to Cavendish Maxwell the tourism sector in Saudi Arabia contributed 11.5% to its GDP in 2023, when tourist arrivals surged to 27 million in 2023, surpassing Vision 2030 targets. It also states that in addition to this growth in numbers, international tourists are staying longer and spending more. They spent 57% more year-on-year to reach $60.62bn in 2023. This was almost five as much per visitor as the much more numerous domestic tourists. Their spending also grew, by 21.5%, to reach $38bn. Spending of this magnitude has resulted in tourism climbing rapidly in economic importance within the Kingdom; it currently stands around 11.5% as a proportion of GDP. Tourism has also generated the sought-after jobs: by 2022, 879,815 people worked in the industry,5 but 436,000 jobs were added last year alone.6 Considering both direct and indirect employment, one in five jobs now depends on the industry.

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