Dhaka: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed 53.6 million tourists in the first half of 2023. The number shows a 142 per cent increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period in 2022.

According to the latest data from the Kindom’s Ministry of Tourism, the total number of tourists, counting overnight visitors for all purposes, comprised 39 million domestic and 14.6 million international tourists.

While visitors for all purposes increased in numbers, the highest growth was seen in leisure tourists, 347 per cent more compared to 2022’s figures.

Furthermore, tourism spending reached SAR 150 billion (EUR 36 billion), far exceeding previous estimates from the Saudi Central Bank of only SAR 40 billion (EUR 10.13 billion) and stood at 132 per cent compared to the same period in 2022.

In total, SAR 63.1 billion (EUR 15.13 billion) came from domestic tourism and SAR 86.9 billion (EUR 20.84 billion) from international visitors. This marks a new record for the tourism industry in the Kingdom.

“This confirms the effectiveness of the Ministry of Tourism and its partners efforts in attracting visitors by enhancing the tourism products and quality of services, in addition to improving visa structures,” said the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, as per reports.

While domestic tourism only recorded a growth of 16 per cent in tourism spending, the average length of stay increased from 4.6 nights in the first half of 2022 to 6.3 nights in the first half of 2023.

Leisure was again the top purpose in number of visitors, achieving an increase of 18 per cent compared to the first half 2022, with 16.6 million tourists accounting for 43 per cent of all domestic trips.