WTO: 156% More Tourists Arrive in the Kingdom in 2023 Compared to 2019

AlUla is one of the top tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia. (Royal Commission for AlUla)

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) barometer revealed in its January report that 156% more tourists arrived in the Kingdom in 2023 compared to 2019, an achievement attributed to the global recovery in the field of tourism.
The Middle East is the only region to have achieved tourism growth at pre-pandemic levels receiving 122% more tourists in 2023 than in 2019, SPA reported.
According to the report, the global rate of tourism recovery in 2023 stood at 88% of pre-pandemic levels, registering an estimated 1,3 billion arrivals. International tourism revenues reached $1,3 trillion, approaching 93% of the $1,5 trillion achieved in 2019.
WTO estimates the direct tourism contribution to the GDP in 2023 to have stood at 3%, having reached $3,3 trillion. It expects global tourism to fully recover from the pandemic during 2024, and to grow by 2% compared to 2019.
Reports issued by WTO show a significant contribution of the tourism sector in the Kingdom to the economy; the Kingdom topped the G20 countries' number of arriving tourists in 2023, and ranked second among the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world in the first three quarters of last year.
Various tourist destinations in the Kingdom witnessed a significant increase in the number of visitors, both domestic and foreign in 2023, and registered a new record in spending by visitors coming from abroad, according to data issued by the Central Bank of Saudi Arabia (SAMA), which shows that tourism revenues reached more than SAR100 billion for the first three quarters of 2023.
This is way above the initial estimation of SAR37,8 billion in the first three quarters of 2023, and a 72% increase over the comparison period of 2022.
These achievements are proof of the Kingdom’s distinguished position as a global tourist destination, and reflect travelers’ confidence in the country's tourism options and diversity.