The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has long been viewed as home to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, and a host of oil wells nourishing the world’s energy needs. However, the perception of KSA as just the centre of the most popular Islamic pilgrimage and the source of a significant amount of the world’s oil has been subject to several changes as the nation has emerged as a formidable force in global tourism. Reports indicate that in 2022, KSA received a remarkable 93 million tourists, with early numbers indicating that this number increased in 2023 despite annual records being unreleased (Ahmed, 2023, p.1; Saudigazette, 2023). This surge in the number of visits has been reflected in KSA’s economy as the tourism sector, in 2022, crossed the 3 per cent GDP contribution marker (Ahmed, 2023, p.1). Stakeholders in the tourism sector and the country’s policymakers forecast that the tourism sector will continue to elevate its contribution to the GDP with an initial target of reaching 10 per cent by 2030, an element that has been reflected in the country’s Vision 2030 (Al Helou, 2023, p.1). The proposed research focuses on the diversification of tourism in KSA from reliance on pilgrimage tourism to other forms of tourism like cultural, medical, and sports tourism. The study will analyse the drivers of this diversification based on tourism trends in the last ten years, offering a foundation to forecast the future of the tourism sector in KSA and the potential to achieve the objectives outlined in Vision 2030.
Research Background
Conscious efforts by Prince Mohammed bin Salman have revealed significant potential for the trajectory of KSA tourism to be divergent from the traditional inclination toward pilgrimage tourism. Tourism and Heritage are also encapsulated in Vision 2030 and resonate with the three pillars regarding the need to create a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. According to Abuhjeeleh (2019, p.2), the conscious approach to revolutionising tourism is evident in many ways; for example, while the first British leisure tourists were allowed in KSA about 25 years ago, these numbers have gone up in the last two decades, including a significant rise since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016. During the Expo 2030, the Minister for Tourism in KSA, Ahmed Al-Khateeb, argued that the current strategy for KSA tourism is to provide compelling offerings that make it a potential tourist destination for many people, with a target on the burgeoning middle class in countries such as China and India (Alanzi et al., 2023, p.5). Therefore, there are significant indicators of evolution in the tourism sector in KSA, which necessitate a research-based analysis.
Research Question
The complex nature of the evolution and apparent diversification of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector involves consideration of the confluence of global elements, including socio-economic and political shifts. In addition, this diversification must consider the deliberate strategies embedded in Vision 2030. Against the backdrop of these complexities, this research delves into understanding the primary drivers and dynamics of the evolution and diversification of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry. The analysis in the proposed study will seek to respond to the following research questions:
- What are the specific factors (or drivers) that are responsible for the recent surge (or growth trends) in tourist visits to Saudi Arabia, with a focus on the last ten years (2014-2024)?
- How does the recent growth in tourism revenue, including its contribution to the GDP, impact Saudi Arabia’s economic landscape?
- What strategies associated with the Vision 2030 initiative can be attributed to the strategic shift in Saudi Arabia’s tourism and the recent surge in tourist numbers?
- How do the trends in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector in the last decade indicate a shift from traditional pilgrimage tourism to alternative forms like cultural, medical, and sports tourism, and how can these trends forecast the future trajectory of the country’s tourism sector?
Research Approach
This research proposes a mixed-methods research design as the primary approach to address the above research questions. The qualitative approach will offer stakeholder perspectives on the recent surge in tourism visits and the primary drivers of this trend. Primary stakeholders will include entrepreneurs in the tourism sector, employees in specific institutions, government officials, and other industry experts. According to Braun et al. (2023, p.23), qualitative analysis through content and thematic analyses in research can unveil patterns in qualitative data. The instrumentation of the qualitative approach will include in-depth interviews with these key stakeholders. This qualitative approach makes sense of the specific drivers of tourism and offers a foundation for a comprehensive understanding of these factors and their relation to the tourist numbers reported.
Quantitative approaches will complement the qualitative approach outlined above. This approach will include statistical analysis of data from government agencies, tourism boards, and economic indicators. This quantitative analysis will illuminate the significance of the tourism sector in the context of the overall GDP in KSA’s economy. This understanding will be the foundation for assessments of the influence of the tourism sector on socio-economic objectives, especially those embedded in Vision 2030.
Significance of the Research
This research is significant because of its distinctive and valuable contribution to the future of the tourism industry, especially in the Middle East. Even though previous studies like Ali and Salameh (2017, p.277) and Abuhjeeleh (2019, p.12) focused on quantifying the extent and nature of trends in tourism in KSA, this research is original in its approach because it focuses on the drivers behind the surge. In addition, because this study covers the last decade, it provides recent information that can fill a knowledge gap in understanding the most recent dynamics in Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, including the effects of COVID-19 on the industry and the recovery from the turmoil. Additionally, the study contributes to the academic discourse by examining the strategies associated with the Vision 2030 initiative and how these strategies have been effective or ineffective in the sector, basing primary findings on critical stakeholders. Finally, this research is significant because it promises a future perspective on KSA’s future tourism by focusing on industry perspectives regarding the dynamics of the tourist sector’s shift from traditional pilgrimage tourism to alternative forms, such as cultural, architectural, medical, and sports tourism. Therefore, this research is original and significant, providing depth and breadth to existing literature on Saudi Arabia’s tourism.
Research Justification
This research project is viable because the mixed-methods approach allows the project to illuminate the complex dimensions of the Saudi Arabian tourism industry. The research can satisfy the research question by providing information that can be the foundation of further research on the topic of diversification of the tourism sector in the KSA. The integrated methodology ensures the depth and reliability of the findings that fit within the project’s scope. Therefore, this research is justified based on its approach and its potential contribution to knowledge in its scope.
Existing Knowledge and Knowledge Gaps
Timeframe
The proposed research timeframe for this paper recognises the outlined research approach and the need for comprehensive data collection. The following table reflects the rough timeframe for the execution of this research program:
Table 1.1: Timeframe of the Research Program
| Phase | Activity | Duration |
| Phase 1: Planning | Literature Review, Define Research Questions, and Design Methodology | One month |
| Phase 2: Data Collection | Conduct In-Depth Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and Document Analysis | Three months |
| Phase 3: Quantitative Data Collection | Collect and Analyse Statistical Data on Economic Impact and Tourism Trends | Two months |
| Phase 4: Integration | Merge Qualitative and Quantitative Findings for Comprehensive Analysis | One month |
| Phase 5: Interpretation and Synthesis | Interpret Results, Synthesise Conclusions, and Align with Research Questions | One month |
| Phase 6: Reporting and Documentation | Drafting Research Paper, Review, and Finalization | Two months |
| Total Duration | – | Ten months |
Exact dates and objectives for each phase will be outlined in the specific timeframe outline upon presentation and acceptance of this research proposal. This rough timeframe also shows the viability of this project and the potential to present a compelling report of findings that contribute to existing knowledge of the tourism sector.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this proposed research will contribute to knowledge of the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This research proposal will illuminate the drivers behind the trends in tourists in the last ten years, providing a foundation to forecast the potential trajectory of the sector. In addition, the research will provide an essential basis for understanding the relationship between the strategies to diversify tourism embedded in Vision 2030 and the realities of recent tourism numbers. This relationship is critical because it provides nuanced perspectives on the potential outcomes of Vision 2030 and its impact on steering the evolution of the tourism industry. Finally, the quantitative analysis of the trends and numbers will offer compelling insights into Saudi Arabia’s tourism as part of the broader global tourism sector, including analysing international elements like the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia positions itself as a global tourism hub, this research provides a foundation to understand the intricacies of the transformation of the tourism sector.
Bibliography
Ahmed, H.M. (2023). Saudi Arabia Sees 93M Domestic And International Visits in 2022, With SAR 185B Spent – The Halal Times. [online] www.halaltimes.com. Available at: https://www.halaltimes.com/saudi-arabia-sees-93m-domestic-and-international-visits-in-2022-with-sar-185b-spent. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
Saudigazette. (2023). Saudi Arabia records 93.5 million tourists and a total spending of SR185 billion in 2022. [online] Available at: https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/629890. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
Al Helou, E. (2023). Saudi Arabia raises the tourism target to 150 million visitors by 2030. [online] Economy Middle East. Available at: https://economymiddleeast.com/news/saudi-raises-tourism-target-to-150-mn-visitors-by-2030. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
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Abuhjeeleh, M., 2019. Rethinking tourism in Saudi Arabia: Royal Vision 2030 perspective. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(5), pp.1-16. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(2).2021.23. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
Alanzi, E.M., Kulendran, N. and Nguyen, T.H., 2023. Religious Tourism Demand and Country Prosperity: An Empirical Study of Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 11(2), p.5. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21427/X9C7-K225. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Davey, L. and Jenkinson, E., 2023. Doing reflexive thematic analysis. In Supporting Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Research (pp. 19-38). Cham: Springer International Publishing. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21427/X9C7-K225. [Accessed 23 Jan. 2024].
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