Figures released by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) show that Saudi Arabia attracted more than 18 million inbound visits in the first three quarters of 2022.
It therefore received more international arrivals than any other Arab nation during the first nine months of 2022.
The other Arab countries that followed Saudi Arabia in terms of visitor numbers was the UAE (14.8 million tourists) and Morocco (11 million tourists), which ranked second and third in the region, respectively.
Tourism spending in Saudi Arabia hit US$7.2 billion in H1 2022 according to figures released by the country’s Ministry of Investment. The country aims to attract 100 million visitors annually by the end of this decade.
The kingdom will participate extensively in the upcoming Arabian Travel Market 2023 edition which will be held at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from May 1-4.
ATM 2023 will feature a host of Saudi exhibitors including Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), flynas, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Asma Hospitality Company, Eye of Riyadh, Itrip, Dur Hospitality, Sadana Real Estate Co, Saudi Amad for Airport Services and Transport Support and many more.
Additionally, this year’s Saudi Summit will take place on the Global Stage at the ATM and will focus on the importance of the kingdom in reshaping the regional travel and tourism landscape.
Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “The ATM 2023 Saudi Summit will offer an ideal forum in which travel professionals and policymakers from across the Middle East and beyond can explore opportunities and challenges within the kingdom’s ever-growing tourism sector.
“From upcoming giga-developments such as Neom and the Red Sea Project to how the kingdom’s latest visa reforms are bolstering its travel sector, we expect Saudi Arabia to represent a major drawcard during the upcoming edition of ATM.”
At the 2022 edition of the ATM, over 23,000 visitors and 30,000 participants took part in the event.
