israeli minister of tourism

Israeli minister arrives in Saudi Arabia in first public visit

Tourism Minister Haim Katz is attending a UN conference, and is the first Israeli cabinet member to visit Saudi Arabia as normalisation talks continue.

The Israeli tourism minister has travelled to Saudi Arabia for a United Nations conference, his office said, describing the visit as the first public trip to the country by an Israeli cabinet member.

Haim Katz’s two-day visit to Riyadh comes as Saudi Arabia is pursuing a possible United States-brokered deal that would forge formal bilateral relations with Israel. Katz is leading a delegation as part of a UN World Tourism Organization event.

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“Tourism is a bridge between nations,” Katz said, according to a statement from his office. “Cooperation in the field of tourism has the potential to bring hearts together, and economic progress.”

“I will work to advance cooperation, tourism and the foreign relations of Israel,” he added.

The Saudi government did not immediately confirm the visit.

Washington has urged its Middle East allies Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalise diplomatic relations following similar deals involving the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

The Palestinians have labelled those United States-brokered agreements a betrayal of their plight and quest for statehood.

On Tuesday, Katz reached Riyadh leading a delegation to attend the UN event, the minister’s office said.

“I will act to create cooperation to advance tourism and Israel’s foreign relations,” Katz said in a statement.

Reporting from the occupied East Jerusalem, Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds said that Katz’s visit to Saudi Arabia was “extremely important” because it was “extremely unprecedented”.

“Relations between the two countries have been frozen for many years, but now.. they are moving much closer, much faster,” said Reynolds, adding that Israeli media reported the country’s communications minister is expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week.

The Saudi crown prince and country’s de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, last week told US network Fox that the kingdom was getting “closer” to a deal with Israel but insisted that the Palestinian cause remains “very important” for Riyadh.

In recent months, Israel has already sent delegations to Saudi Arabia to participate in sports and other events, including a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Saudi envoy in Palestine

Also on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia sent its first delegation in three decades to the occupied West Bank to reassure Palestinians that it will defend their cause even as it forges closer ties with Israel.

“The Palestinian matter is a fundamental pillar,” Naif bin Bandar Al Sudairi, who headed the Saudi delegation and is the new ambassador to the Palestinians, said after meeting top Palestinian diplomat Riyad al-Maliki in Ramallah for talks and to present his credentials.

“And it’s certain that the Arab [Peace] Initiative, which was presented by the kingdom in 2002, is a cornerstone of any upcoming deal.”

Al Jazeera’s Reynolds said that the Saudi position has always been to normalise relations but only after Israel agrees to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders and as East Jerusalem as its capital.

“Saudi officials are talking about that but it appears to be no longer the precondition that they had set before,” he added, explaining that this makes many Palestinians fearful of what is yet to come.

The 2002 initiative proposed Arab relations with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from the West Bank, east Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights, and a just resolution for the Palestinians.

Al Sudairi’s delegation, which crossed overland from Jordan, was the first from Saudi Arabia to visit the West Bank since the 1993 Oslo Accords. The Accords were meant to lead to an independent Palestinian state, but years of stalled negotiations and deadly violence have left any peaceful resolution a distant dream.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, 87, last week again stressed strong reservations about Arab countries building ties with Israel.

“Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full, legitimate national rights would be mistaken,” Abbas told the UN General Assembly in New York.

When asked whether there will be a Saudi embassy in Jerusalem, Al Sudairi recalled that there used to be one in the occupied East Jerusalem district of Sheikh Jarrah, and said that “hopefully there will be an embassy there” again.

Meanwhile, at a ceremony to mark the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “many states in the Middle East want peace with Israel”.

Netanyahu’s hard-right government has been expanding illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the start of this year, according to the health ministry. At least 35 Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period.

Israel Launches Website for Tourists Wishing to Visit

Dedicated Ministry of Tourism mini-site presents all the information one needs to know in order to visit Israel today

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The following is a press release issued by the Israel Ministry of Tourism.

Following government approval to re-open Israel’s skies to vaccinated and recovered incoming tourists, the Israel Ministry of Tourism announces the launch of a dedicated landing page on its website. The landing page incorporates all the necessary and useful information related to local Corona guidelines that a vaccinated/recovered tourist would need to visit to Israel.

The landing page , which will be updated in accordance with any future changes in regulations, is currently in English and will be translated to other languages in the near future.

Information includes:

• Planning Your Trip (definition of vaccinated and recovered tourist, list of approved vaccines and required documentation for entry into Israel);
• During Your Stay (where/how to get Corona testing); and
• Before You Leave (requirements for testing and documentation).

The landing page also includes links to related information at the Israel Ministry of Health and the Home Front Command websites.

The Corona pandemic decimated Israel’s tourism industry, with the abrupt closure of all incoming tourism in March 2020, after a consistent period of increasing growth. 2019 was a record year for incoming tourism to Israel, with 4.55 million tourists (11% increase on the previous year) and revenue of NIS 23 billion. Incoming tourism plunged to just 832,500 tourist entries in 2020 and 401,500 in 2021 (with revenue of approximately NIS 2 billion).

The Israel Ministry of Tourism, via its representative offices around the world, has worked throughout the pandemic to ensure that awareness of Israel as a safe, attractive tourism destination remains high and to nurture relationships with tourism wholesalers, airline companies, etc. In Israel, the Ministry of Tourism has made very significant investments in maintaining and upgrading tourism infrastructure throughout the country, so that tourists can once again enjoy the varied historical, religious, cultural and tourist sites that Israel has to offer.

Dedicated landing page: https://israelsafe.com/

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Israel’s tourism industry remains strong as hotels pivot from hosting evacuees

A fter the Hamas assault on Israel on October 7 , tens of thousands of Israelis were evacuated from towns around Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Gaza. At the onset of the war, the Israeli Tourism Ministry helped 125,000 displaced residents find temporary housing. Under the leadership of Tourism Minister Haim Katz, the ministry secured 50,000 hotel rooms for displaced residents and set up a daily subsistence allowance program.

The Tourism Ministry paid hotels 3.2 billion shekels ($850 million US dollars) and allocated 2 billion shekels for 100,000 displaced residents through Israel’s National Insurance Institute. 

More than six months since the outbreak of the war , approximately 7,000 evacuees are still living in hotels. Around 50,000 have returned home, having been given a special grant from the Tourism Ministry. 

The Media Line spoke to the Tourism Ministry and the hotels that hosted evacuees about the experience of housing evacuees, the war’s impact on the tourism industry, and the future of tourism in Israel. 

“Tourism stopped completely at the beginning of the war, as happened in every place in the world,” Tourism Ministry spokesperson Anat Shihor-Aronson told The Media Line. “From almost reaching the record of incoming tourism in 2023, as it was in 2019, to nothing-from 100 to 0.”

Shihor-Aronson said that the Tourism Ministry initially did not plan to participate in the evacuation efforts. But when it was announced that displaced residents would be housed in public buildings such as schools, Tourism Minister Haim Katz proposed an alternative solution.

Housing 90,000 evacuees amid war crisis

“He said, ‘No way,’” Shihor-Aronson recounted. “We at the Tourism Ministry know how to work with hotels and immediately connected with the Israel Hotel Association . We established a situation room in Tel Aviv in the hotel association building and brought tens of our employees and the people from the hotel association.”

The team succeeded in placing evacuees in 50,000 hotel rooms in just a few days.

About 90,000 evacuees were housed in hotel rooms at the beginning of the war, Shihor-Aronson said. As the war dragged on, many evacuees sought out other options for housing. 

“The conditions are not easy, even though the hotels provided their best facilities and went beyond their duty to accommodate the evacuees,” Shihor-Aronson said.

She added that the ministry provided displaced residents who preferred not to stay in hotels grants of 200 shekels ($53 US dollars) per adult and 100 shekels ($27 US dollars) per child daily for alternative housing.

“It gets to 18,000 shekels [$4,770 US dollars] a month for a family of two parents and two children and 21,000 [$5,570] for a family of three children, allowing them to rent an apartment by themselves and still have money to live,” Shihor-Aronson said. “Many evacuees chose this.”

The current governmental support for displaced residents is set to last until July 7. If the ministry’s services are still needed beyond that, they may be extended. 

“Who knows what’s going to happen? We hope the war will end, but if we need to continue our services, we are completely ready to do so,” Shihor-Aronson said.

Yossi Glazer, the southern district general manager of Fattal Hotels, Israel’s largest hotel chain, told The Media Line that the chain’s hotels housed over 20,000 people who were displaced from their homes. 

“These evacuees were welcomed at all of our 40 hotels across Israel, from north to south, and hosted with great love and compassion,” Glazer said. 

He said that about 90% of rooms in the hotels were used by evacuees. Most of those evacuees have returned home or moved to alternative residences by now, with many hotels no longer hosting any displaced residents. 

“We opened our doors to evacuees only,” Glazer said. “Some stayed for weeks, some for months. For now, the majority left, except for two hotels: one in Eilat and one in Tel Aviv.”

Although the period was highly challenging, the hotels were prepared for the crisis, Glazer said. 

“Our work is to know how to adjust to every guest’s needs,” he explained. “In wartime, we have the opportunity to become a home for people. Besides all the basic needs, the room and amenities, we know how to adjust the food and change our menu so people have a variety that can fit for six months.”

Glazer noted that the kindergartens, schools, and medical, dental, and mental health centers were opened at the hotels in order to meet the evacuees’ needs. 

He said that helping the evacuees was a pleasure and honor and said that the families appreciated the hotels’ efforts.

“They became our family, and we became theirs,” he said. “Our maids know the names of every dog in the hotel, every child, and every family. We celebrated weddings, bar mitzvahs, and birthdays. We have seen the births of more than 30 babies of Jewish families in our hotels.”

“Some evacuees were very traumatized, and still, our staff knew how to hug them, listen, and host with much love,” he continued, “And more than that, we have more than 300 team members, men and women, who were called up for military service during these difficult times.”

Koby Hatzoel, Fattal’s general manager for Tel Aviv and Herzliya, told The Media Line that the financial aspect of housing evacuees was not discussed at the beginning of the war. 

“We didn’t even think about the finances. We just wanted to help the people pass this difficult time,” he said. 

He said that the hotels began receiving financial compensation from the Tourism Ministry about one month after the war broke out. 

While the costs of rooms were covered, the hotels will need additional funds for repairs after the evacuees leave. 

“When people stay at the hotel so much time, with animals and with all their stuff, you need to renovate the rooms afterwards. We hope to get some support to do it,” Hatzoel said. 

Tourism Ministry spokesperson Shihor-Aronson expressed optimism about the future of tourism in Israel. 

“We are already preparing for the day after the war,” she said.

“We keep in touch with everybody,” she continued. “We organize events to make the world keep Israel in mind all the time. We support our marketing routes, and we also participate in almost every tourism fair all over the globe, and the interest in Israel is still there.”

Hatzoel expressed his gratitude for the domestic tourism still happening in the country. He noted that the chain’s hotels in Eilat, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv are fully booked. 

“People want to go back to their routine and go on vacation,” he said, predicting that the hotels will do well during the upcoming Jewish holiday of Passover and over the summer vacation. 

Glazer, who manages hotels in southern Israel, said that Israelis are interested in domestic tourism as a way to relax during a tense year. He said that demand is highest in resort areas and in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The hotels have also begun hosting foreign visitors who are traveling on business or on solidarity visits, he said. 

With strong demand amid a complex reality, Israel’s hotel industry has proven its resilience.

“Tourism is no longer a luxury,” Glazer said. “It’s a basic need. We all know that Israel had some other crises in the past. We hope that we will return to normal levels of tourism, even in the third quarter of this year.”

Israel's tourism soared in 2023, yet faces new challenges post-war

Israel's tourism sector, having marked a record-breaking year in 2023, is currently contending with the challenges that follow in the face of the war..

A troubling tail end

Israel Tourism Sector Shuts Down After Hamas Attack

Josh Corder and Peden Doma Bhutia, Skift

October 9th, 2023 at 4:43 AM EDT

Israel had high hopes for tourism this year, not only as an economic driver, but as peacemaker with the rest of the world. Those hopes have come crashing down with last weekend's Hamas attack.

Just a few weeks ago, tourism was said to be the olive branch that was going to improve relations between Israel and the rest of the Middle East. Saturday’s surprise Hamas attack on the country has a confirmed death toll of more than 1,000 so far, completely halting its tourism sector, and further delaying any hopes of stability in the area.

“Citizens of Israel, we are at war — not in an operation, not in rounds — at war,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin   Netanyahu broadcasted following the Hamas group’s attack on parts of Israel, including the capital and tourist hot spot Tel Aviv. In the south of the country, Hamas stormed and opened fire on a festival where there were more than 3,000 people.

More than 260 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the festival site, according to rescue agency Zaka, reported the BBC . Others have been taken hostage.

International tourism has responded by freezing travel to Israel and advising all its citizens to steer clear of the country.

Airlines’ Reaction to Hamas Attack

Across the world, the industry’s largest carriers have stopped routes to Israel, while governments, such as the US, have issued a “Do Not Travel” to Gaza and “Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To” Israel or the West Bank, due to terrorism and civil unrest.

Canada and the UK have similar travel advisories, updated for citizens over the weekend. Australia’s foreign minister gave similar warnings at a press conference held at Melbourne Airport over the weekend.

Here are the statements from carriers across the world:

American Airlines : “(American Airlines) has temporarily suspended operations to and from Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) and has issued a  travel alert  providing additional flexibility to customers whose travel plans are affected. We continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed. Customers should visit  aa.com  or use the American Airlines mobile app to check the status of their flights.”

Delta: “Delta continues to monitor the situation and is making schedule adjustments accordingly. Currently, our TLV flights have been canceled into this week. Customers impacted by canceled flights or who want to change their TLV ticket should check their Delta app, visit  Delta.com  or call Delta reservations to make adjustments.” On Background: Delta will work with the U.S. government as needed to assist with the repatriation of U.S. citizens who want to return home.

United : “Our Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions allow them to resume.”

Air Canada: “We are monitoring this dynamic situation closely and we will adjust these plans as required. We remain in contact with the Canadian government. Air Canada will resume operations to Tel Aviv as soon as the situation stabilizes.”

Lufthansa, SWISS & Austrian : “Against the background of the current situation in Israel, Lufthansa is canceling all flights to and from Tel Aviv up to and including Monday, October 9th, 2023 We are continuously monitoring the security situation in Israel and are in close contact with the authorities. The safety of our guests and crew members has top priority for Lufthansa.”

British Airways: “We are continuing to monitor the situation in Israel very closely and have introduced a flexible booking policy, enabling customers to change their travel dates free of charge if they wish. Today’s flight to Tel Aviv was cancelled, but flights are currently planned to operate over the coming days with adjusted departure times.”

Air India : “Our flights to and from Tel Aviv will remain suspended till October 14, 2023, for the safety of our passengers and crew.”

Hainan Airlines : The sole Chinese carrier connecting China and Israel, has called off its Tel Aviv to Shanghai flights on Monday. The carrier has three direct flight routes between China and Israel. In November, the airline reopened the route between Shenzhen in southern China and Tel Aviv. It also operates flights between Beijing and Tel Aviv.

Cathay Pacific : On Monday, the Hong Kong carrier confirmed the cancellation of its Hong Kong to Tel Aviv flight scheduled for Tuesday, with plans to provide further updates on the next flight on Thursday.

Korean Air : The flag carrier of South Korea has scrapped its Monday flight that operates between the port city of Incheon and Tel Aviv, and anticipates that future flights on this route may experience irregular scheduling.

Israel Tourism Upended

Prior to its bloodiest attack in decades, Israel had high hopes this year for its tourism sector. In 2022, the country saw 2.7 million tourists back after Covid restrictions lifted.  These visitors brought $4 billion back into the economy and helped Israel get back on track toward a record-breaking year of tourism in 2023. 

For 2019, the country had 4.7 million visitors.

A statement from the Minister of Tourism at the start of 2023 was immensely positive: “2022 was a year of recovery from the corona(virus) crisis. The trend is positive and breaking the incoming tourism record of 2019 is a realistic goal on the horizon. Domestic tourism has proven itself as an economic force just as essential as incoming tourism. Our goal is to reduce obstacles, to launch projects that increase the accommodation supply and develop infrastructure, to fully realize the tourism potential in the country.”

But the country has struggled to meet its targets so far this year.

In August 2023, Israeli tourism was reported to be 4%-7% lower than the pre-Covid levels of 2019, as per data released by the Central Bureau of Statistics . During that month, Israel saw a total of 311,200 foreign visitors, with 284,200 of them categorized as tourists who spent at least one night in the country. To provide context, this marked a contrast from the figures of August 2022 when 247,100 foreign visitors arrived, and August 2019 when 324,200 visitors came to Israel. Additionally, in August 2022, there were 234,400 tourists who spent at least one night, while in August 2019, that number was 304,600.

Up to August of this year, Israel was still behind its 2019 levels by 13%, bringing in 2.52 million visitors compared to 2019’s 2.89 million up to the same period.

Israel’s tourism minister had recently presented a plan to welcome seven million tourists by 2030 and was looking to focus on Asian markets to increase the number of visitors. 

Source Markets

The Americas and Europe have been Israel’s largest source markets in both 2023 and 2019 up to August, so carriers halting flights from those areas will likely have a sizeable impact on travel numbers in the fall and winter.

1.28 million visits up to August 2023 came from Europe for Israel, and 921,000 from America. America in particular was 9% ahead of August 2019 year-to-date levels, one of the only regions to be ahead of pre-pandemic numbers for Israel.

Israel had redoubled its efforts to appeal to Chinese tourists, recognizing the significance of this market. The tourism ministry had been taking proactive steps, including forging a partnership with Weibo, China’s equivalent of Facebook, and launching a targeted campaign on the platform.

Before the pandemic, Israel had devoted substantial resources to attract Chinese tourists, resulting in a record-breaking year in 2019, with over 150,000 Chinese visitors, most of whom arrived with tour groups. However, the pandemic brought a halt to Chinese tourism. Encouragingly, Israel’s recent inclusion on China’s approved list for group travel had signaled a potential resurgence in this vital tourism sector.

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Tags: asia monthly , israel , Israel tourism , Israel travel , Tourism news , travel news

Photo credit: The Hamas attack on Israel has completely halted its tourism sector. Chris Tobin / Getty Images

Israeli tourism bounced back in 2023 but faces challenges ahead with ongoing war

3 million tourists visited israel in 2023, a 12.5% increase over the previous year.

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The Ministry of Tourism reported that Israel's tourism sector enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2023 but is now facing the current and post-war challenges that lie ahead.

According to the latest report , about 3 million tourists visited Israel during 2023, a 12.5% increase compared to 2022. While the number represents a 34% drop from the 4.5 million tourists that visited Israel pre-COVID in 2019, it proved to be somewhat encouraging given the country has been at war since Oct. 7.

A mere 180,000 tourists visited Israel during the last quarter of 2023, a significantly lower number of arrivals than the 900,000 or so that was anticipated.

Israel's tourism industry is not expected to increase substantially in 2024 due to the Israel-Hamas conflict and the growing threat of war between Israel and Hezbollah terror forces on the border with Lebanon.

“While some tourists postponed their vacations because of the war, many did not cancel their reservations and are waiting for the right time to travel. Israel has much to offer as a tourism destination and we are looking forward to once again welcoming tourists to our country,” Israeli Minister of Tourism Haim Katz said in a note of optimism regarding "the day after" the war has ended.

“We are preparing the necessary infrastructure that will enable us to operate swiftly and efficiently 'the day after,' in order to help jumpstart the economy and to offer the country additional resources for rehabilitation and growth,” Katz said.

Looking back at 2023, the majority of visitors to Israel arrived during May and June, predominantly from the United States, France, England, Russia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland, Canada and Spain. 

In late July, ALL ISRAEL NEWS reported that the number of tourists from the U.S. to Israel hit a new peak in the first half of 2023; 12% higher than during the same period in 2019. 

The month of December saw the least amount of tourism in 2023, with just 52,800 tourists, compared to earlier in the year, which saw upwards of 300,000 visitors per month for several months.

Tourism revenue in Israel totaled $4.85 billion in 2023, with the average expenditure per tourist, excluding flights, totaling ILS 6,005 ($1,608). 

The majority of the visitors came for sightseeing tours, while some 19% arrived for pilgrimage purposes. Roughly half of all Israeli tourists were Christian and nearly 25% were Jewish, according to the Incoming Tourism Survey from January 2023 until the outbreak of war.

Of those tourists, the Ministry of Tourism reported that 57% were first-time visitors, with 43% responding they had visited Israel at least one time before. 

The average stay in Israel was 8 days, with 70% of the tourists arriving independently and 30% as part of an organized group.

Reasons for visiting Israel were quite diverse: 37% came to sightsee; 26% visited Israel for leisure and recreation; 25% came to visit family and friends; 11% arrived on business and 5% visited Israel for other reasons. 

During their visit to Israel, 60% of tourists rented rooms in hotels, 19% stayed with family or friends, 13% booked a short-term rental, 6% stayed in a hostel or Christian accommodations and 2% stayed in other forms of housing. 

Mark Feldman, CEO of Ziontours Jerusalem, expressed less optimism about the coming year for Israel's tourism sector, stressing the need to manage expectations when it comes to the economic forecast.

Feldman noted that groups are showing interest in visiting Israel in 2024, along with a lack of tourists booking flights to Ben Gurion International Airport. In addition, most cruise lines are not setting sail from either of the Mediterranean seaports in Ashdod or Haifa.

Many hotels in the Jewish state continue to host Israeli evacuees from the northern and southern borders of Israel, with no specific timeline for their return home.

“Once the war subsides, there will be a slow and steady increase of tourists who will be welcomed with open arms and broad smiles,” Feldman said.

All Israel News Staff

The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.

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Huthi attacks no threat to Saudi resorts: minister

Attacks by Yemen's Huthi rebels on Red Sea shipping pose no threat to Saudi coastal resorts, the kingdom's tourism minister told AFP Sunday at a summit focused on regional instability.

"What is happening is at the end of the Red Sea, at the very south of the Red Sea," Ahmed Al Khateeb said on the sidelines of a two-day World Economic Forum special meeting in the Saudi capital.

He was referring to the Huthis' campaign of drone and missile attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that the rebels say are linked to Israel.

"All of our projects in the Red Sea or NEOM are in the middle and north of the Red Sea, far away from the conflict, and it is definitely not a target for the Huthis," Khateeb said.

Saudi Arabia mobilised an international military coalition against the Huthis in 2015, although a truce has largely held for the past two years.

The kingdom has since been seeking to open up to international tourism, which it sees as a vital engine of its Vision 2030 economic reform agenda meant to prepare the world's biggest crude exporter for a post-oil future.

In recent months Saudi Arabia has begun accepting guests at two resorts as part of its Red Sea Global coastal development, while the luxury yachting island Sindalah -- part of the futuristic NEOM megacity -- is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Saudi officials are also hoping to draw more tourists to the kingdom's mountainous southern region, a part of the country to which some diplomats were barred from flying because of the threat of Huthi attacks.

"The south is a very important product for us," Khateeb said on Sunday, adding that Asir province -- which borders Yemen and is home to projects like the Soudah luxury mountain development -- is "very safe, very stable".

The Huthis, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014, began targeting Red Sea shipping in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians.

Their campaign comes in response to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the Palestinian militants' unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Attacks by the Huthis have drawn reprisal strikes from the United States and Britain since January, and prompted Western naval forces to deploy in order to counter attacks on ships plying the busy commercial routes.

- 'No change' to alcohol rule -

Despite regional tensions, Saudi Arabia recorded year-on-year growth of 10 percent in tourism visits in the first quarter of 2024, Khateeb said on Sunday.

Last year it recorded 79 million domestic visits and 27 million international visits.

The revised target for 2030 is 150 million total visits -- up from an earlier target of 100 million -- including 70 million international visits.

Saudi Arabia, long closed off to much of the world, inaugurated general tourism visas in 2019, just months before the coronavirus pandemic decimated the tourism industry globally.

The kingdom is trying to shed its austere reputation by hosting major music and sporting events and developing other attractions.

In January, Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest shrines in Islam, opened its first alcohol shop, which serves only non-Muslim diplomats.

Alcohol is banned for everyone else, and Khateeb said on Sunday that would continue to be the case.

"There is no change in the policy," he said, adding there was plenty of room for growth even if alcohol was not available.

"We believe we will continue to grow with the same policy."

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The Israel-Hamas War: Live Q&A with Amb. David Satterfield (Part 2)

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