Saudi Domestic and Global Tourism Picks Up in First Four Months of 2024

With a steady rise in international and domestic travel, Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry continues to show an uptick, revealing an upbeat sentiment towards travel among Saudi travellers in the first four months of 2024, a report by Al Mosafer, a travel unit of the Seera Group in the Kingdom, said.

According to the travel insights and trends derived from proprietary data from Almosafer’s omni channel consumer platforms, customer booking behaviours have evolved in the first four months of 2024 compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

Dubai, Doha, Manama, Cairo, and Istanbul remain the top favourite global destinations among Saudi travellers, Al Mosafer said.

At the same time, there has been a significant shift of focus towards South Asia and the Far East with Tokyo, Singapore, and Bangkok increasingly seeing more footfall from Saudi travellers. European capitals including Madrid and Amsterdam are also emerging as trending destinations, the report said.

The top destinations drawing Saudi travellers domestically continue to be Makkah, Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar and Abha. New hotspots like AlUla, Tabuk and Hail are among the trending destinations this year.

Saudi travellers are keen to make the most of their travels, as they focus on achieving ultimate value with many choosing to spend more on in-destination experiences.

The addition of new flight routes, increased capacity, and the opening of new airports in the Kingdom have led to more a­ffordable flight options on low-cost carriers (LCC). While Saudi travellers were willing to spend on luxury stays and experiences, they were taking advantage of budget-friendly flight options.

There has also been rising interest from Saudi travellers for Apartment rentals and Apartment hotels, as these accommodation options o­ffer a convenient alternative to hotels, especially for destinations with lower hotel availability, or for a flexible and convenient stay.

Saudi travellers are further enhancing in-destination experiences by seeking out increased domestic and international o­fferings for local activities such as concerts, sporting events, cultural activities, and access to attractions.

Overall, Saudi travellers aim to maximize the value of their travel bookings as they explore their country and destinations further afield and seek out ways to get the most out of their bookings to create truly memorable travel experiences.

Domestic Destinations

Domestic destinations such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Al Khobar and Abha accounted for 53% of total bookings by Saudi travellers during the first four months of 2024. These places maintained their positions as top destinations for domestic travel, while AlUla, Tabuk and Hail are trending destinations this year.

Total bookings for domestic destinations rose 29% y-o-y, with flight bookings surging 27% y-o-y and hotels 40% y-o-y, the report showed. Some 91% of total bookings were made online, while 9% of bookings were made through retail channels.

Low-cost flight bookings accounted for 62% of total bookings in 1Q 2024, with international low-cost flight bookings representing 46% of bookings. Domestic bookings accounted for 72% over the same period, the data showed.

The Saudi government is investing around $800 billion into the tourism sector under plans to build new future destinations, including Neom, the Red Sea, Diriyah, and Qiddiyah among others. The private sector, supported by the Tourism Development Fund, is pouring investments to build new hotels.