S Arabia’s tourism sector set for golden decade

FE Team | Published: December 30, 2023 21:22:58

RIYADH, Dec 30 (Arab News): In the transformative landscape of 2023, Saudi Arabia's travel sector has not only met but exceeded expectations, prompting a substantial recalibration of its Vision 2030 ambitions.
This year saw the Kingdom scaling up its initial target of securing 100 million visits by the end of the decade, with the Kingdom's Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb saying in October that this ambition has been revised to 150 million.
This came after Saudi airports recorded over 93.5 million tourists in 2022, with around 77 million domestic visitors, and 16.5 million arriving from international destinations.
The expansion of the tourism industry has been bolstered by regulatory adjustments, including the new "Visiting Investor" visa approved by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment and the Foreign Affairs department.
Now, international investors no longer have to visit a Saudi embassy to get a permit to travel to the Kingdom after the process for applying was moved online in the second phase of the e-visa service scheme, expanding its coverage from nearly 60 nations to include all countries worldwide.
With a goal to make tourism its second-largest revenue source by 2030 as part of Saudi Arabia's economic diversification initiative, the Kingdom is taking bold steps to showcase its history, landscapes, and cultural diversity.
In the tourism and leisure sectors, Vision 2030 is creating attractions that are of the highest international standards, improving visa issuance procedures for visitors, and preparing and developing Saudi Arabia's historical and heritage sites.
One of the most prominent projects contributing to the development of the industry is the launch of Riyadh Air, the Kingdom's new flag-carrier.
The airline seeks to turn the Saudi capital into a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.
This mission is gathering pace as the Kingdom was ranked second globally in terms of tourist arrivals during the first seven months of 2023, the Saudi Press Agency reported in October.
Additionally, the Kingdom's Air Connectivity Program is expanding, with new direct flights between Jeddah, Riyadh, and worldwide destinations such as Casablanca, Brussels, and Beijing announced.
In October, the General Authority for Civil Aviation unveiled a new strategy that seeks to attract $100 billion worth of investments by 2030 in a bid to bolster competitiveness and enhance transparency in the sector.
93.5m - Saudi airports recorded over 93.5 million tourists in 2022, with around 77 million domestic visitors, and 16.5 million arriving from international destinations.
$37.8bn - Saudi Arabia aims to increase its hotel room inventory by 315,000, projecting a development expenditure of around $37.8 billion by 2030, bringing the overall hotel room inventory to nearly 450,000.