Saudi Arabia’s Travel and Tourism sector appears to have been working overtime to contribute to growth and increase visitor numbers, and the recent World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) reports show that it has been worth it. 

The reports reflect a record-breaking year for Saudi Tourism with unprecedented contributions to GDP, job creation, and visitor spending. The sector contributed SAR 444.3BN to the GDP, growing by over 32% and accounting for 11.5% of the economy, surpassing the previous record by nearly 30%.

Employment in the sector increased by 436,000 jobs, reaching over 2.5 million, representing nearly one in five jobs in the country, marking a 24% increase from the previous peak, which has recovered and exceeded pre-pandemic employment levels.

International visitor spending surged by nearly 57% to SAR 227.4BN, while domestic spending grew to SAR 142.5BN (up 21.5%), both setting new records. Saudi Arabia also welcomed 100 million tourists in 2023, putting it seven years ahead of its target, which has now been adjusted to 150 million tourists by 2030. There are also $800 billion in planned investments by 2030 to continue the trajectory and boost more job creation going forward.