Arab News, Wed, Oct 04, 2023 | Rabi Al-Awwal 19, 1445
Tourism boom for Saudi Arabia with 58% growth in arrivals in 2023, ranks 2nd globally
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia has been ranked second globally in terms of tourist arrivals
during the first seven months of 2023, the Saudi Press Agency reported on
Tuesday.
The Kingdom saw a 58 percent growth in tourist
numbers up to the end of July, according to the Ministry of Tourism, compared to
the same period in 2019.
The data was sourced last month from the UN World
Tourism Organization and came from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.
Riyadh hosted World Tourism Day on Sept. 27-28,
reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to the global tourism sector.
Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that
the achievement “would not have been possible without the support of the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Crown Prince,” the SPA
reported.
Al-Khateeb added that the ranking strengthened the
country’s status as a global tourist destination and that the substantial rise
in arrivals reflected the confidence travelers had in the variety and quality of
tourism options available within the Kingdom.