The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) announced that the number of foreign tourist arrivals in Saudi Arabia reached 2.3 million in 2018, a growth rate of 21.2% over 2017.
The report pointed out that Saudi Arabia's income from the tourist arrivals for the summer of 2018, excluding religious arrivals, amounted to about SR 8.7 billion, a growth rate of 15.9%.
The report noted that the eastern region topped the most welcoming destinations for tourists by 45%, followed by Riyadh region with 27%, and Makkah region by about 16%.
According to the report, the arrivals of relatives and friends came in first place by 39%, followed by the business arrivals by 31%, and the shopping arrivals by about 12%.
The report pointed out that the number of tourist departures reached 9.4 million, a growth rate of 7.4% over 2017.
SOURCE : ALRIYADH
