Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector welcomed 116 mn visitors in 2024, a 6% y-o-y increase, according to the Tourism Ministry’s annual statistical report (pdf). International tourists were up 8% to a record 29.7 mn, rising 70% above pre-pandemic levels, while domestic tourists logged a 5% increase to 86.2 mn.

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Big spenders: International tourists spent an all-time high of SAR 168.5 bn in 2024, up 19% y-o-y, with an average spend per trip of SAR 5.7k. Meanwhile, domestic tourists spent a total of SAR 115.3 bn, inching up 1% y-o-y, with an average of SAR 1.3k per trip.

Inbound tourism in numbers: Saudi Arabia’s inbound tourism peaked in March with 3.2 mn arrivals. International tourists stayed for an average of 19 nights, with Makkah the leading destination after logging 17.4 mn overnight visitors.

Why Saudi? Religion drove the most international visits to the Kingdom, accounting for 41%, but leisure travel grew the fastest at 20% y-o-y to capture 25% of arrivals, followed by visiting friends or relatives (20%), and business (7%). Overall, non-religious tourism grew 9% y-o-y, jumping 127% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Regional breakdown: Some 33% of inbound tourists came from Asia and the Pacific, 28% from the MENA region, 27% from the GCC, 8% from Europe, 2% from Sub-Saharan Africa, and 2% from the Americas. Meanwhile, Egypt was the largest source market, sending 3.2 mn tourists our way.

What about accommodation? International visitors predominantly stayed in hotels (57%), followed by furnished apartments (22%), private accommodations (18%), and other lodging types (4%).

The domestic breakdown: Most Saudi travelers chose trips to Riyadh (12.7 mn), Jeddah (9.2 mn), and Makkah (8.3 mn). The trips, averaging 6.3 nights, were primarily for leisure (37%) and visiting friends and relatives (35%).

IN CONTEXT- The Tourism Ministry is targeting 150 mn tourist trips by 2030, with 80 mn domestic travelers and 70 mn international travelers. The ministry launched Tourise in May, a global platform designed to guide the tourism industry’s future for the next 50 years by unlocking investment and setting a sustainable agenda through year-round digital and cross-sector collaboration.

DATA POINT- The travel and tourism sector is set to contribute 10% or higher to GDP thisyear, amounting to SAR 447.2 bn, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

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