CAIRO: Saudi Arabia saw some 11 million visitors in 2010, a new report published by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) revealed, making it one of the few countries in the Arab world to maintain visitor levels in a region fraught with violence and uprisings last year. But the revenue was down. The report said that visitors to the country spent some $6.8 billion, compared to the $7.8 billion spent the previous year. The study also reported the ultra-conservative Gulf kingdom now makes up some 17.8 percent of all tourism to the Middle East. According to the report, Saudi Arabia comes in second among Arab countries and 22nd internationally among the countries that record high rates of visitors. It was ranked 20th in 2009. The report also stated that Saudi ranked fifth in the Arab World and 37th globally in the same year regarding tourism revenues. Tour operators are pleased with the report, telling Bikyamasr.com that the country's “upscale nature of our country delights travelers who want a unique, but well-mannered visit.” Overall, global tourism rose some 4.5 percent in 2011, but down from a rise of 11.3 percent the year before. The statistics were based on the first 8 months of 2011. For the region, and Saudi included, tourism to the Middle East in the first 8 months of last year has seen a nearly 10 percent drop overall, with visitors heading to places less tense and not hit with uprisings and violence. The number of international tourists during the same period has reported 69 percent of the total number predicted to the end of the current year, said the report. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/zBBka Tags: Middle East, Tourism, Travelers Section: Saudi Arabia, Travel
