Saudi tourism spending slumped 61.5 percent in 2020 as pandemic struck

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ issued more than 500,000 tourist visas between September 2019 and the start of the pandemic. (Reuters)
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  • 31.7 percent of tourism spending came from abroad in 2020

RIYADH: Tourism spending in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ slumped 61.5 percent to SR63.4 billion ($16.9 billion) in 2020 as the pandemic halted travel within and into the Kingdom.

Tourists from abroad made up 31.7 percent of spending, Al Eqtisadiah reported, citing º£½ÇÖ±²¥n Monetary Authority and Ministry of Tourism data.

º£½ÇÖ±²¥ is investing billions of riyals in developing destinations for residents and foreign visitors, including the Red Sea Project resort, and the cities of NEOM and Al-Ula. The Kingdom issued more than 500,000 tourist visas before the pandemic after offering them for the first time in September 2019.