Saudi Arabia has moved up 10 places to the 33rd spot on the 2021 World Economic Forum (WEF) Travel and Tourism Development Index, which was revealed at the WEF 2022 forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The independent index benchmarks 117 countries on 17 pillars crucial to the development and resilience of their travel and tourism industries.
Saudi Arabia moved up from 43rd in 2019 to 33rd in 2021, the second-largest rise in rankings, as a result of improvements across almost all indicators.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb, said: “I am proud of the progress the Kingdom has made through our Vision 2030 reforms as we have opened to the world. Our success is demonstrated by our strong investment in the tourism sector – from creating jobs opportunities for citizens to working with global partners who are invested in our transformation.
“Our ranking is proof that since 2019, despite the global pandemic, Saudi Arabia has demonstrated incredible global leadership as a new tourism destination. We have made it easier to invest and create tourism businesses in the Kingdom. Last year saw a record for domestic visits. And top global companies are recognising our commitment and are joining us.”
In 2019, Saudi Arabia launched the National Tourism Strategy, a clear plan to drive forward Vision 2030, which aims to increase the contribution of the tourism sector to 10 percent of GDP, create 1 million new jobs, and attract 100 million local and international visits annually by 2030.
Saudi Arabia’s tourism growth recognised
The World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index is a key indicator of Saudi Arabia’s extraordinary journey as a global tourism leader.
The WEF’s new Travel and Tourism Development Index measures against a set of factors that enable the sustainable and resilient development of the Travel and Tourism sector, which in turn contribute to national development.
The 2021 edition of the index highlights:
- the vital need to invest in tourism,
- the impact of Covid-19
- how stakeholders in the sector can draw on development strategies to recover better.
- shifting demand and future risks, and
- creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient sector, among other KPIs
Saudi Arabia’s higher score was achieved by improvements across 12 out of 17 KPIs.
Highlights include an improvement from 27th to 10th for business environment; an improvement from 47th to 40th for tourism services; and a best in world ranking for managing demand pressure and impact.
The improvement in Saudi Arabia’s ranking reflects not only considerable investment into tourism but also its global leadership in future-proofing the sector.
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