WTM Spotlight Riyadh 2026 Opens in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's international leisure tourism sector is projected to experience a remarkable 93% expansion between 2025 and 2030, significantly outpacing broader regional and global averages.

According to a newly released report by Tourism Economics titled Saudi Arabia: An Emerging Global Tourism Powerhouse, the Kingdom's overnight international leisure travel is set to grow more than three times faster than the global projected average of 30%, and well ahead of the Middle East's forecasted 64% increase.

This ambitious outlook builds directly upon a period of unprecedented momentum. Between 2019 and 2025, international travel arrivals into the country surged by 67%, dwarfing the Middle East's regional growth of 20% and the global average of 5%. Dave Goodger, Managing Director for EMEA at Tourism Economics, noted that the Kingdom has actively driven roughly 15% of worldwide travel growth since 2019, cementing its status as an export-driven powerhouse backed by sustained destination development and strategic investments.

Further illustrating this evolution, leisure travel's share of total international visitor spending within the nation climbed sharply from 9% in 2019 to 28% in 2025, with projections estimating it will reach 31% by the close of the decade. Strategic partnerships are further sharpening this focus on high-value segments; research from Dragon Trail International highlights Chinese luxury travelers as a prime long-term opportunity, with 52% of surveyed Chinese travel agents already actively selling the destination.

Hospitality benchmarking from STR underscores the country's robust infrastructure demand, forecasting a 18.6% surge in RevPAR for Riyadh hotels by 2027 as corporate and consultancy travel outpaces new room supply. Meanwhile, coastal and transit hubs like Jeddah continue to capitalize on strong domestic demand and pilgrimage flows, supported by upcoming room expansions heading into 2027.

Presented at the inaugural WTM Spotlight Riyadh at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center (RICEC), these findings highlight the tangible economic transformation unfolding across the nation. Danielle Curtis, Regional Portfolio Director for UAE at RX, emphasized that the current phase centers on capturing high-value demand to ensure broader economic integration across the entire local tourism ecosystem.