According to a report in the Saudi Gazette, Saudi authorities are working to open 38 tourist sites in seven different tourist destinations by 2022.
“Tourism constitutes 10 percent of the average total income of the world’s economies,” Al Khateeb said. “This sector constitutes 18 percent of Spain’s income, for example, 16 percent of France’s income, while it contributes 3.5 percent of the income in the kingdom’s economy.”
“We look forward to raising the sector’s contribution to 10 percent by 2030,” he added.
At the moment, Al Khateeb said that there are currently 600,000 people employed in the sector.
By 2030, Saudi authorities plan to create as many as 1 million additional jobs within the tourism sector.
Saudi authorities have previously stated that they intend to reach 100 million annual visits, from inside and outside the kingdom alike, by 2030, compared to 41 million visits at present.
Source: Arabian Business