ISLAMABAD: Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Ahmed Al-Khateeb termed the performance of the tourism sector in the country during the first quarter in the ongoing year (2023) as historic and unprecedented.
“Over six million pilgrims have offered Umrah during the ongoing season whereas the percentage of visiting tourists for holidays and entertainment purpose was recorded over 81 percent in the first quarter of 2023 against the same period in the previous years, thanks to the simplified electronic visa procedures and significant growth in facilities and services in the KSA’s tourist destinations,” he said.
The minister said this while attending his monthly meeting with investors in the tourism sector of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Tourism Authority Chief Executive Officer Fahd Hamidaddin and a large number of investors and stakeholders from the tourism sector from various regions of the country attended the online meeting.
Al-Khateeb highlighted that the ministry would never neglect three core issues that were highly crucial including compliance with the necessary licenses to practice the activity, high quality and jobs for the people of Saudi Arabia in the tourism sector.
Minister Terms Umra Performers, Other Arrangments Boosting KSA Tourism Sector
The minister underlined that the results achieved by the country’s tourism sector during the holy month of Ramazan were significant and unprecedented as its number (both native and from outside) has surpassed six million, and the residence rate in the hospitality sector in Makkah and Madinah witnessed historical figures, Saudi Gazette reported.
“This encouraging start is promising and helpful as the ministry is intensifying its attempts and readiness to initiate the summer season campaign for this year. Over SR600 million have been allocated to introduce the wonderful tourist destinations all over the country,” he said.
The meeting further reviewed the preliminary results achieved during the first quarter. It was also maintained in the meeting that the growth rate of domestic tourism spending in the first quarter of 2023 reached 45 percent against the first quarter of last year.
The minister further added that besides other preparations and arrangements, the increasing demand for the Umrah visas have contributed to achieving the desired results.
