{
  "id": 6734014,
  "title": "European leisure travel to Saudi Arabia forecast to grow 130% by 2030",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/european-leisure-travel-to-saudi-arabia-forecast-to-grow-130-by-2030",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T09:12:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/09/11/european-leisure-travel-to-saudi-arabia-forecast-to-grow-130-by-2030"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Leisure travelers from Europe are set to see a substantial surge in visits to Saudi Arabia, with a forecasted 130% increase between 2025 and 2030, according to research from Tourism Economics. The continent is currently the largest long-haul market for Saudi leisure travelers, with visits to the country expected to account for 54% of international leisure arrivals by 2030, up from 47% in 2025. Germany and Italy are expected to see a more than tripling of their leisure travel to Saudi Arabia over the same period. The Middle East currently dominates Saudi leisure travel, but the report predicts a shift towards Asia, with Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, and Singapore expected to see at least a 50% increase in leisure nights. Saudi Arabia has experienced a remarkable tourism boom in recent years, with visitor nights more than doubling since 2019 to 1.1 billion and spending on tourism five times higher. The country's push to expand international tourism through visa facilitation agreements with countries across Europe, Asia, and Central Asia has further fueled growth.",
  "summary": "According to new research, Europe was also the fastest-growing long-haul region for Saudi leisure travellers between 2019 and 2025.",
  "key_points": [
    "European leisure travel to Saudi Arabia set to grow 130% by 2030",
    "Germany and Italy forecast more than tripling leisure visits to Saudi Arabia",
    "Shift expected from Middle East to Asia, with Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore increasing"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in European leisure travel to Saudi Arabia signals a shift in the country's tourism market, with Europe's share of international leisure arrivals growing and certain countries seeing explosive growth.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Ajel English",
        "title": "Gold prices fall in Saudi Arabia as 21k drops to 459 riyals",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/gold-prices-fall-in-saudi-arabia-as-21k-drops-to-459-riyals",
        "published": "2026-09-11T09:32:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}