Riyadh: Saudi Arabia is gearing up to flaunt its record-breaking tourism surge at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, with a jaw-dropping 30 million international visitors in 2024 – up 9.5% from last year. The Kingdom’s travel sector is on fire, and this year’s event in Dubai will see a 16% spike in Saudi exhibitors, including heavyweights like SAUDIA, Riyadh Air, and Cruise Saudi.
Set to dazzle from 28 April, ATM 2025 will spotlight Saudi Arabia’s bold vision to become a global travel hotspot. The expanded Saudi Land hall – a glitzy upgrade from last year’s Saudi Village – will showcase the Kingdom’s rich culture, heritage, and skyrocketing tourism stats. Newcomers like flyadeal, Diriyah Company, and Aseer join returning stars like flynas and Fairmont Hotel, proving Saudi’s pulling power.
The numbers don’t lie: Saudi’s economy is the Gulf’s biggest, hitting a GDP of $1.1 trillion in 2023. Non-oil sectors now make up 63% of that, a massive jump from 39% in 2000. Leisure tourism is booming too – inbound visitors soared from 1.12 million in 2019 to 6.2 million in 2023, while domestic trips rocketed from 48 million to 78 million.
Danielle Curtis, ATM’s Exhibition Director, gushed: “Saudi’s unstoppable rise as a tourism titan is crystal clear. With top airlines, luxury hotels, and cruise giants on show, ATM 2025 will be a blockbuster for the Kingdom.”
The stats keep coming: Saudi’s air travel market is tipped to hit $11.3 billion by 2028, with Riyadh Air eyeing 100+ global routes by 2030. Hotels? They’re dominating 60% of the GCC market, with 40,000 new properties adding 320,000 rooms. Domestic bookings alone drive 70% of the cash.
Expect big talks too. AROYA Cruises’ Turky Kari and Saudi Tourism Authority’s Abulkarim Aldarwish will headline ATM’s conference, tackling community-led tourism and mega-events. With 55,000 attendees and 2,800 exhibitors, ATM 2025 – themed around global connectivity – is set to be a game-changer. Saudi Arabia’s stealing the spotlight, and it’s not slowing down!