Exceptional growth in the Middle East
The Middle East was one of the best performing regions in world tourism in 2023, according to UN Tourism’s annual barometer. With 87.1 million international tourists, numbers were up by 22% over 2019.
The Middle East’s wave of new tourism projects, numerous marketing campaigns and continuous expansion of air connections appear to have paid off in 2023 as the region welcomed 87.1 million international travellers. Several destinations enjoyed exceptional results, among which Qatar (+90%) and Saudi Arabia (+56%) recorded some of the highest growth rates in tourist arrivals in the world. Qatar was actually the world champion in the growth of international tourist arrivals. The Emirate welcomed over 4 million travellers, its highest performance in 5 years.
The opening up of Saudi also bore fruit. The destination received 100 million visits in 2023, including 27 million international visits, marking Saudi’s emergence as a global tourism powerhouse.
Dubai, another strong performer in the Middle-East, recorded 19% more international travellers in 2023. The Emirate saw 17.15 million international overnight visitors compared to 16.73 million in 2019, until now the city’s record.
- 87.1 million international travellers to the Middle East in 2023
- + 56% Saudi Tourism Y-to-Y growth rate last year
Photo: Camels on the beach, Salalah, Dhofar  © Ministry of Heritage & Tourism Sultanate of Oman
