São Paulo – Saudi Arabia has been investing to become an international tourism destination. The idea is for the sector to be one of the pillars of the Vision 2030 plan to help diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil. According to the Tourism Authority of Saudi Arabia, the goal is that the country will receive 100 million tourists a year by 2030.
Of this total number, the Saudi prospect is that at least 55 million will be international visitors and another 45 million will be domestic tourists. With this volume, the country hopes to provide 1 million job opportunities and a 10% increase in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to the Saudi newspaper Arab News website, the Gulf country issued, before the outbreak of the pandemic, 450,000 tourist visas. The move was driven by the program launched in 2019 by the Kingdom’s Tourism Authority aimed at attracting more tourists. The project facilitated access to tourist visas electronically or through the country’s entry points with specific regulatory controls.
In addition to fostering tourism programs, the Saudi authority has made its own investments in the sector. Among the ventures are participation in local and international shows and the management of destinations and travel packages for internal and external marketing.
The latest marketing campaign for tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia was launched this week. The “Summer of Saudi Arabia” program aims to promote 11 tourist destinations by the end of September, with over 500 experiences provided by 250 private sector partners.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
