While religious tourism is the main incentive of travel to Saudi Arabia, only 40.6% of the 17 million tourists who visited the kingdom in 2013 did so for religious reasons, according to Saudi Tourism and Antiquities Committee (SCTA) data, says Timetric's Travel and Tourism in Saudi Arabia to 2018 report, which is hosted by Research & Markets.
Inbound tourism expenditure reached SAR58.5 billion (US$15.6 billion) in 2013, fuelled by countries with large Muslim populations. The presence of the Islamic holy sites Mecca and Medina underpin this demand, particularly during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The number of international arrivals rose from 10.9 million in 2009 to 13.2 million in 2013, at a CAGR of 5%. Inbound tourist expenditure increased at a CAGR of 14.62%, from SAR34 billion (US$9 billion) in 2009 to SAR58.5 billion (US$15.6 billion) in 2013.