SAUDI ARABIA WANTS 100 MILLION VISITORS BY 2030

[Corruptistan]

SAUDI ARABIA WANTS 100 MILLION VISITORS BY 2030​

Saudi Arabia Wants 100 Million Tourists by 2030 | Porthole Cruise and Travel News

Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to become a major cruise and travel destination for international travelers in the coming years.

porthole.com

Very ambitious but is it realistic? Around 25 million tourists visited KSA prior to COVID-19 on an annual basis if I am not wrong.

I am not sure if Hajj or Umrah visitors are included in this stated goal.

I heard that 30 million by 2030 (Hajj alone) is the goal.

Saudi Arabia will host 30 million pilgrims by 2030. This is how technology will help

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has launched several digital services over the years. Read more on Fast Company ME.

www.fastcompanyme.com

Explore Saudi Arabia | Visit Saudi

Explore Saudi Arabia’s ancient heritage and culture, breathtaking outdoor activities and delicious local food. Plan your trip in Saudi today!

www.visitsaudi.com

The potential is definitely there due to the giant size of KSA, its natural beauty, diversity and many historical sites as well as religious tourism such as Makkah and Madinah etc.

Tourism and its related industries could be a nice side income for the country.

Some photos from Saudi Arabia that I saw on a travel blog.

It is very much a hidden gem from personal experience as well. So much to see and some areas are devoid of tourists as well as locals.

 

[S10]

I can't think of any reason I would want to visit Saudi Arabia unless I was on Hajj if I was Muslim.

With that said, I have heard a couple of people who lived there saying it was pretty decent.

 

[Catalystic]

2030 far away still…..woryy about 2023/2024 instead

 

[Corruptistan]

I can't think of any reason I would want to visit Saudi Arabia unless I was on Hajj if I was Muslim.

With that said, I have heard a couple of people who lived there saying it was pretty decent.

The natural beauty of the country, amazing hospitality (well-known Arabian hospitality), many ancient historical sites and food is worth a visit. Let alone the beaches and many amazing islands. Excellent infrastructure and one of the most safe countries out there to visit.

KSA is a far better travel destination than most countries in the world. The problem is that it is not very well-known by outsiders due to a very weak PR and past stupid policies. For instance it was harder for a foreigner to get a KSA tourist visa than a visa to North Korea not long ago!
Now the country is opening up and tourist numbers are increasing.

Put it short, it is an amazing country and a hidden gem.

Anyway I am not surprised by your reaction, this is what Western propaganda/PR does to countries.

2030 far away still…..woryy about 2023/2024 instead

Nothing wrong with having goals or ambitions. KSA was already the most visited country of West Asia after Turkey which has decades more experience in terms of tourism and a tourism sector.

KSA could easily become one of the most visited countries in the world (it already is) by Hajj and Umrah numbers alone.

If those 30 million hajis by 2030 is correct, that alone is more foreign visitors than 99% of all countries receive on an annual basis.

Of course numbers are one thing, another thing is to actually reach them!

 

[FCPX]

KSA tourism minister statement "Khateeb specified Sunday that of the 100 million targeted visitors for 2030, 30 million are meant to come from abroad while the rest would be people travelling within Saudi Arabia."

Among the anticipated 30M visitors from abroad would be a large percentage of religious visitors. You can read the full article here.....

https://thearabweekly.com/saudi-eyes-tripling-foreign-tourists-2022-12-million

 

[Corruptistan]

KSA tourism minister statement "Khateeb specified Sunday that of the 100 million targeted visitors for 2030, 30 million are meant to come from abroad while the rest would be people travelling within Saudi Arabia."

Among the anticipated 30M visitors from abroad would be a large percentage of religious visitors. You can read the full article here.....

https://thearabweekly.com/saudi-eyes-tripling-foreign-tourists-2022-12-million

Something is completely off. How can there be 70 million annual domestic tourists when the domestic population of KSA is not even 40 million?

20 million annual foreign tourists/visitors already visited the country prior to COVID-19.

Tourism in Saudi Arabia​

Saudi Arabia recorded a total of 20 million tourists in 2019, ranking 13th in the world in absolute terms.

Saudi Arabia generated around 5.96 billion US Dollar in the tourism sector alone. This corresponds to 0.72 percent of its the gross domestic product and approximately 8 percent of all international tourism receipts in Western Asia.

Development and importance of tourism for Saudi Arabia

International travelers and tourism sector revenues from 1995-2021 in Saudi Arabia, including comparison with other countries in Western Asia

www.worlddata.info

If you include Umrah and Hajj the potential is enormous. With KSA opening up it is just a question of time. Tiny UAE next door (KSA offers so much more for every type of tourist) is one of the most visited countries in the world due to Dubai alone.

KSA should let Hajis and people visiting during Umrah have the opportunity to travel across the country freely.

KSA is the size of Western Europe after all.

Volcanoes of KSA:

Amazing.

 

[Abid123]

I have heard that Saudis dislike and are racist to Pakistanis?

 

[Corruptistan]

I have heard that Saudis dislike and are racist to Pakistanis?

You heard wrong. Our community in KSA would not be the largest Pakistani diaspora in the world if that was the case. Saudi Arabians are some of the most hospitable, warm and funny people out there when you get to know them.
There are bad apples everywhere. I can only talk about myself but I grew up in KSA along with 100’s of Pakistanis of every origin and from every part of Pakistan and almost all of us only had great things to say about the country and people.

Some of the laws are bad though but that is another discussion not much different from our own idiotic laws on some fronts.

BTW there are many Pakistanis based in KSA on PDF that I had the plessure to talk to here, you should also go ask them.

Watch this and judge.

 

[aviator_fan]

You heard wrong. Our community in KSA would not be the largest Pakistani diaspora in the world if that was the case. Saudi Arabians are some of the most hospitable, warm and funny people out there when you get to know them.
There are bad apples everywhere. I can only talk about myself but I grew up in KSA along with 100’s of Pakistanis of every origin and from every part of Pakistan and almost all of us only had great things to say about the country and people.

Some of the laws are bad though but that is another discussion not much different from our own idiotic laws on some fronts.

BTW there are many Pakistanis based in KSA on PDF that I had the plessure to talk to here, you should also go ask them.

Watch this and judge.

It perplexes me why there is so much focus on attracting tourists. No country has established its prominence as a tourist economy. All tourist economy does is create low paid hospitality jobs. Saudi Arabia is one of the highest per capita income countries. Do MBS's Mckinsey advisers think this is the way to preserve wealth by acting as a tourist hub and blow $500BN on Noem.

 

[Olympus81]

A lot of Saudis come here to Bangkok, Thailand for medical and tourism purposes. They stay here for months.

Same with Yemenis, Bahrainis , Omanis etc.

Developing their own medical and tourism infrastructure might help stop the tide. Good thinking.

 

[aviator_fan]

A lot of Saudis come here to Bangkok, Thailand for medical and tourism purposes. They stay here for months.

Same with Yemenis, Bahrainis , Omanis etc.

Developing their own medical and tourism infrastructure might help stop the tide. Good thinking.

Not to be explicity but I can guarantee you there is an association with tourism and vices. It happens in all tourism destinations (including in Dubai). These people are coming for the medicine but staying for other reasons. I hope Saudi Arabia does not develop a vice economy or sets a precedence that it can be a tourism economy but not have the side shows.

 

[Paitoo]

It perplexes me why there is so much focus on attracting tourists. No country has established its prominence as a tourist economy. All tourist economy does is create low paid hospitality jobs. Saudi Arabia is one of the highest per capita income countries. Do MBS's Mckinsey advisers think this is the way to preserve wealth by acting as a tourist hub and blow $500BN on Noem.

They are trying to diversify and rightly so. Dubai / Bahrain / Qatar are already financial hubs so there is no point creating another one. But these are tiny countries and lack what Saudis have, that is landmass. Plus more tourism will break many stereotypes, which is good overall.

 

[Olympus81]

Not to be explicity but I can guarantee you there is an association with tourism and vices. It happens in all tourism destinations (including in Dubai). These people are coming for the medicine but staying for other reasons. I hope Saudi Arabia does not develop a vice economy or sets a precedence that it can be a tourism economy but not have the side shows.

They come with family.

So essentially the parents are undergoing treatment and the other members, anybody’s guess.

 

[Indos]

I can't think of any reason I would want to visit Saudi Arabia unless I was on Hajj if I was Muslim.

With that said, I have heard a couple of people who lived there saying it was pretty decent.

Not only Hajj, but also Umrah that can be done through out the year. Beside the intention to get closer with God, during Hajj and Umrah, the extraordinary scene is that you would see people from all over the world in the mosques of those cities. This I think can be a reminder for Muslim on the unity that we should forge together, because that diversity is beautiful to see and feel.

I dont know whether that kind of scene can be seen on Vatican as I see majority will be just Westerners.

Diversity in Muslim world is awesome

 

[FCPX]

I would think their tourism minister knows what KSA is planning and the numbers he mentions seem to be realistic.

With regards to 70M domestic tourists I am assuming he means multiple visits but I am only second guessing his statement.

I think now KSA has enabled Haj and Umrah visitors to extend their visits for tourism which is a good thing for them but still, 100M tourists 8 years from now seems way too far fetched.

Something is completely off. How can there be 70 million annual domestic tourists when the domestic population of KSA is not even 40 million?

20 million annual foreign tourists/visitors already visited the country prior to COVID-19.

Tourism in Saudi Arabia​

Saudi Arabia recorded a total of 20 million tourists in 2019, ranking 13th in the world in absolute terms.

Saudi Arabia generated around 5.96 billion US Dollar in the tourism sector alone. This corresponds to 0.72 percent of its the gross domestic product and approximately 8 percent of all international tourism receipts in Western Asia.

Development and importance of tourism for Saudi Arabia

International travelers and tourism sector revenues from 1995-2021 in Saudi Arabia, including comparison with other countries in Western Asia

www.worlddata.info

If you include Umrah and Hajj the potential is enormous. With KSA opening up it is just a question of time. Tiny UAE next door (KSA offers so much more for every type of tourist) is one of the most visited countries in the world due to Dubai alone.

KSA should let Hajis and people visiting during Umrah have the opportunity to travel across the country freely.

KSA is the size of Western Europe after all.

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Volcanoes of KSA:

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Amazing.