Tourism revenues in Saudi Arabia tripled during the first quarter of 2023, reaching about $9.86 billion, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA). The Saudi Kingdom has recovered significantly since the COVID pandemic, hosting approximately 7.8 million tourists during the first quarter of the year, according to the SPA report. That number represents a 64% increase in the number of tourists so far in 2023, compared to the pre-COVID record year in 2019.
The SPA reported that the dramatic increase in tourism revenue follows the Saudi Tourism Ministry’s “efforts to boost the tourism sector and its contribution to the growth of the national economy, which corresponds to the objectives of the National Tourism Development Strategy.”
Expand tourism
The conservative Middle East kingdom also hopes to expand tourism as part of a larger effort to reduce its dependence on oil exports. Riyadh envisions the growing tourism sector to eventually contribute approximately 17% of the country’s total GDP by 2032. In June, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb told a forum of international investors that the pandemic was no longer affecting tourism in the kingdom.
“The pandemic is behind us … we will grow fast this year, we’re optimistic,” Al-Khateeb stated at the time. The historic Abraham Accords could potentially give an additional boost to the Saudi tourism sector if a Saudi-Israeli normalization is implemented, allowing Israeli tourists to officially enter the kingdom.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently praised Saudi Arabia for hosting 128 Israeli travelers onboard an Air Seychelles flight, when the pilot made an emergency landing in the nation’s capital of Jeddah after the aircraft experienced technical difficulties.
The significant surge in tourism
The significant surge in tourism in Saudi Arabia during the first quarter of 2023, with nearly 8 million visitors and a tripling of tourism revenues to $9.86 billion, marks a promising development for the hospitality and tourism industry. As Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy away from oil dependency, the growth in the tourism sector is a strategic move, with ambitions to contribute 17% of the nation’s GDP by 2032. This trend aligns perfectly with the goals of companies like BM Events, which specialize in providing on-demand hospitality staffing solutions. BM Events is poised to play a pivotal role in supporting this tourism boom by offering tailored and top-notch staffing services that cater to the evolving demands of the industry. As Saudi Arabia opens its doors to millions of tourists, the need for skilled and experienced hospitality staff becomes paramount, and BM Events stands ready to ensure that every visitor’s experience in the kingdom is exceptional. Furthermore, potential developments such as the Saudi-Israeli normalization under the Abraham Accords could provide an additional boost to the industry, creating more opportunities for BM Events and other hospitality service providers to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s thriving tourism sector.
