Saturday, August 24, 2024 Tourism in the Middle East and Africa is booming in 2024, led by Saudi Arabia’s initiatives to boost the region’s appeal and attract visitors. The 2024 State of Travel report highlights a significant surge in international tourism across the Middle East and Africa, with Saudi Arabia emerging as a key player in this growth. This increase aligns with Saudi Arabia’s strategic emphasis on enhancing its tourism sector in recent years.
Here’s a closer look at the tourism trends in four prominent markets in the region: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Egypt. Saudi Arabia In the first six months of 2024, Saudi Arabia welcomed 60 million tourists, including both international and domestic travelers. However, the kingdom has yet to release specific data separating these figures.
Tourism significantly boosted Saudi Arabia’s economy, contributing $38.1 billion during this period. Since launching its international tourism initiatives in 2019, Saudi Arabia has set ambitious goals to attract 150 million visitors annually by the decade’s end, with 70 million expected from overseas.
Tourism is poised to become Saudi Arabia’s second-largest industry, trailing only oil. The accompanying graph from the State of Travel report illustrates Saudi Arabia’s impressive tourism growth trajectory. Dubai Dubai’s tourism industry continued its upward trend, attracting 9.
31 million international overnight visitors between January and June 2024, marking a 9% incre.