When people book vacations, in the winter we tend to travel to the Caribbean and in the summer Europe. Asia has also seen a steep rise in tourism in the late summer/fall with its beautiful scenery and temples. According to Statista, in 2022 962.39 million travelers, only 69.42 million people traveled somewhere in the Middle East. This would put the region fourth on the charts, with Europe at the highest count of 584.9 million, the Americas at 156.18 million, and Asia at 102.42 million. The Middle East sits above Africa, which has 46.61 tourists.
Now that we see the data, it may seem that the Middle East is just not a popular tourist destination. Well in 2019 travelers to the Middle East were at 73 million, but that still put them in 4th among the 1.46 billion travelers in that year. That puts them relatively low compared to the amount of travelers. But in 2022, the level compared to the share of travelers is much higher, showing an increased interest within the region.
This is not happening for no reason. Middle Eastern countries are looking to diversify their economies for more growth. Tourism seems to be the approach of most countries, which in turn is bringing businesses. Dubai is one of the greatest examples. An oil-driven economy turned their port city into one of the largest cities in the world, with over 2.9 million residences. In 2023, 9.8 million people visited the United Arab Emirates alone, and 7.7 million of those visitors went to Dubai. Pre-pandemic levels were much higher, with 25 million plus visitors coming to the UAE. The UAE wants to return to pre-pandemic tourism levels.
Palm Jumeriah, Dubai, UAE
It’s not just the UAE boasting new tourism levels. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt are looking to increase tourism. Qatar had a recent boost in 2022 when it hosted the most-watched World Cup in history. Egypt is looking to increase tourism by 30% of its pre-pandemic levels. Saudi Arabia wants to have 150 million visitors by 2030 and Dubai wants to hit 25 million by 2025.
Exactly what are countries doing to increase tourism? For Dubai, it comes with boasts of attractions and tax incentives. Dubai built the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. It created a man-made island shaped in palm holding multi-million dollar residencies and luxury hotels (and they are making another one). Dubai also has a 0% tax rate for businesses, which is luring companies and investors worldwide. Recent reports are that Dubai is looking to spend $280 billion on tourism. Saudi Arabia is investing its money into infrastructure and sports.
The Saudis have captured some of the world’s most renowned soccer players including the likes of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and one of the world best ever players, Cristiano Ronaldo. The wall is a Saudi project with high ambitions, creating a thin city that expands for hundreds of miles across the desert. The Saudi Prince Mohhamed Bin Solomon announced spending of $810 billion on tourism in the future.
As we look to the future, the Middle East may become a tourism powerhouse. The investment in the tourism industry shows ambition, as the Middle East is looking to enter the world stage with a new energy that the world has yet to see.
Author: Joshua Cheatham
