Saudi tourism jumps big

Saudi Arabia said domestic tourism reached about 28.9 million trips in the first quarter of 2026, up 16% from a year earlier. (spa.gov.sa) The Ministry of Tourism said domestic tourism spending hit Saudi riyal 34.7 billion in the January-to-March period, an 8% annual increase. Total domestic and international tourists reached about 37.2 million in the quarter, with combined spending of roughly Saudi riyal 82.7 billion. (spa.gov.sa) The ministry’s April 8 release tied part of that demand to Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr school holidays, when about 10 million domestic tourists traveled inside the kingdom, up 14% from the same holiday period a year earlier. Hospitality occupancy averaged 59% in the first quarter. (spa.gov.sa) Madinah posted the highest occupancy rate at 82%, followed by Makkah at 60% and Jeddah at 59%, according to the same preliminary data. Arab News, citing ministry data and industry executives, reported that Ramadan and Umrah traffic lifted demand in Makkah and Madinah, while some Red Sea destinations reached full capacity. (spa.gov.sa) (arabnews.com) Those first-quarter figures extend a broader expansion in Saudi tourism. The ministry said the kingdom welcomed about 116 million domestic and inbound tourists in 2024, including 86.2 million domestic tourists, with total tourism spending of about Saudi riyal 284 billion. (spa.gov.sa) Tourism is a core part of Saudi Vision 2030, the government’s plan to diversify the economy beyond oil. The Saudi Tourism Authority says the strategy centers on new destinations, events and hotel capacity, including projects on the Red Sea coast and in AlUla. (sta.gov.sa) Official first-quarter releases did not quantify AlUla or Red Sea growth by percentage, but ministry-backed and local reports said those destinations were among the strongest performers during the period. The Ministry of Tourism’s public dashboard also shows domestic travel volumes have climbed well above pre-pandemic levels in recent years. (mt.gov.sa) (maaal.com) The latest numbers show Saudi residents are filling more hotel rooms and spending more at home as the kingdom builds out its tourism map. For Riyadh, that is the near-term test of whether Vision 2030 can turn headline projects into repeat domestic travel demand. (spa.gov.sa) (sta.gov.sa)